Through Pandoras Eyes
by Its-Blondie-1996
Summary: Pandora Malfoy was the perfect pureblood daughter. Or so everyone thought, Pandora's not like the rest of the pureblood elitists, and she's tired of hiding it. Struggling with herself, Pandora attempts to break free but its not as easy as it seems...
1. Chapter 1

Pandora Alexandra Rose Malfoy.

That's me. Except it's not. Malfoy's are cold, cruel pureblood elitists. I was brought up to think that all muggleborn's and half-bloods are filthy and that they don't deserve magic, that it's not rightfully theirs.

I was seven when I first began to question my parent's beliefs, I was with my brother, Lucius in Diagon Alley and we were in the owl emporium. Lucius had spotted his friend, Mulciber or something when a girl about my age came over to me. She was a brunette with bright blue eyes and she introduced herself as Amy. It was Amy's first trip to the emporium and she was about to purchase her first owl. At this age I owned four owls and several other pets, Amy wanted a strong owl, something she could use to send letters to her cousins at Beaubatons. We had just picked out a beautiful young eagle owl for her when Mother had come to find me. She was furious to find me talking to Amy and told me that I was never to talk to unworthy half-bloods like her again. For weeks after I wondered why Amy's blood made her different to me, after all we were both young witches, but because I was the perfect pureblood daughter I never questioned my mother's behaviour, I just accepted it.

The next time my young mind began to wonder about the significance of blood I was ten. It was Christmas time and Lucius was coming back from his first term at Hogwarts. We were at the Parkinson's home and they were holding the annual pureblood Yule ball. My father had arranged for a carriage to take us to the Parkinson manor. Several families had been invited: The Blacks, The Avery's, The Crabbe's, The Goyle's, The Nott's, The Zabini's, The LeStrange's, The Carrow's and the Rosier's.

It was then that I first met Sirius Black, we were seated together during the Christmas feast and he asked me about my views on muggleborn's. For a moment I thought about what I was to say, before I realised that most of the table had their focus set on me. For fear of facing my father's wrath I was cowardly and claimed that I believed they were unworthy of magic. My father smiled at me and for the first time ever I became recognised in the pureblood community. I beamed at the attention I seemed to be receiving, for a moment I glanced at Sirius only to discover he was looking at me with a knowing frown. I panicked at the thought that he knew I was lying, my palms growing sweaty and my smile losing its form. To my relief however he didn't say anything. I knew what he must have thought me to be, a blood traitor.

At the time, being named a blood traitor was like an omen, an omen of death. They were dark times as Voldemort first began to let his presence be known. Deatheater's were few in number but they still posed a threat to every muggleborn, half-blood and blood traitor out there.

It was only eight months later that I was leaving for Hogwarts. My trunk had been packed for a week, my golden owl, Lux was in her cage and my Hogwarts form had been owled back to professor Dumbledore. I was so excited but there was one thing that I was not looking forward to- the sorting ceremony, Lucius had told me that the sorting hat could read all my thoughts and that was how it would determine the house I belonged in. It worried me that the hat would know that I was a blood traitor. This terrified me; I was likely to be disowned if my mother and father knew. I hoped the hat would show some mercy, some compassion and regardless of my opinions towards blood purity I hoped the hat would place me in Slytherin.

During the train ride to Hogwarts my brother insisted that I sat with him and his friends, this was perhaps not a bad thing for it helped me to decide that I wanted no part in the growing army of pureblood elitist's that Voldemort was building. I wish I could have said the same for Lucius. The idea of being a deatheater amazed him and I knew at that moment that all the hatred my parent's held for all non- purebloods had done its job. My brother, someone I used to look up to was no longer someone I could share my thoughts and feelings with.

I don't know when exactly he became like the rest them, the group of Slytherin's that were soon to become some of the most deadly deatheater's but I do know the day of my sorting set many things into motion.

I felt more intimidated than I ever had when I first walked into the great hall, surrounded by other people my age. It was then that it occurred to me that most of the people around me would be with me for the next seven years. It was a rather dark thought seeing as Narcissa Black, a girl I despised was part of the crowd, not to mention her cousin Sirius.

The sorting was nothing unusual until of course, Sirius Black was sorted into Gryffindor. The great hall was silent for several seconds before a strict looking professor began to clap and the rest of the hall joined in while Sirius walked towards the Gryffindor table. The sorting carried on for several more minutes before my name was called.

_Pandora Alexandra Rose Malfoy!_

I walked towards the stool as any Malfoy would, my posture was confident and I had my head held high, a small smile graced my lips, my white-blond hair a dead giveaway of my identity. Misty green eyes sparkling with anticipation I sat on the stool and waited for the sorting hat to be placed upon my head. It was an odd feeling, wearing the tattered old hat; it was almost as if I could feel its presence in my mind.

It spoke in riddles, analysing my thoughts critically, searching for all the hidden thoughts and feelings I struggled to conceal. Not Gryffindor I chanted I was pleading with the hat, begging for it to place me into Slytherin. After several minutes the hat came to a decision, just not the one I had hoped for.

_RAVENCLAW!_

For a second I stayed perfectly still, like for Sirius the applause had been slow but eventually the hall was echoing with cheers. The hat was taken from my head, revealing my blond curls once more. I walked towards the Ravenclaw table shakily, admittedly it could have been worse I could have been in Gryffindor. In fact I almost was, but the hat had some mercy. I could only imagine my mother and father's rage as to why I wasn't in Slytherin; I could imagine my brother's anger towards me for my lack of Slytherin qualities. Honestly, I was glad to be in Ravenclaw; being in Slytherin did something to a person take Lucius for example he was perfectly normal until he was placed in that cursed house. Had my brother been in Gryffindor the chances of him ever becoming a deatheater were next to nothing after all, Gryffindor's are brave enough to refuse, to say no, they are resilient. Lucius wasn't. It wasn't just the house either, it was the people they poisoned his sweet mind filling it with dark thoughts. But as they say see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. At the tender age of twelve Lucius had experienced a lot of evil because of my parents, he didn't see the beauty and light that he used to. He only saw the darkness, he was a true Malfoy.


	2. Chapter 2

My mother and father were not surprised to find that I was in Ravenclaw but that didn't mean that they were not angry. My mother even went so far as to ask Professor Dumbledore for me to be resorted, of course Dumbledore refused. For this I was glad, Ravenclaw was pretty much the only house, other than Slytherin, that was not a disgrace to the Malfoy name.

My years at Hogwarts were tragically dull if not depressing. When I walked through the corridor's people stared, when I sat in the library people whispered, when I was caught talking to my brother people gossiped.

It wasn't until this summer, when the deatheater's began to recruit everyone, anyone they could find. Lucius included. I remember that day better than I remember my last birthday, after all it was the day my life began to fall apart. My parents thought it best to leave me out of the loop; they didn't think it would interest me to know that my brother was throwing his life away.

It wasn't until nine pm that night that I became aware of what my brother had become. I was going to our library, the main one anyway; when I arrived outside my brother's door I heard a muffled sound. I twisted the door knob to find my strong, proud brother sat on the floor, shirtless with bandages on his left arm, sobbing. For a second I considered the possibility that it wasn't what it looked like, that Lucius had just hurt himself playing quidditch with his irresponsible friends. But then he looked at me, from that one glance I felt more pain than I had ever felt before.

It was then that tears began to stream down my cheeks and my knees buckled painfully.

'_No, no you can't! You're not that stupid! No, it's not real, it's not. Say it Lucius, please just tell me it's not real.'_

I was met with silence.

'_You stupid, stupid boy! Did it never occur to you that you might get caught? That someone might turn you in? That your oh-so-precious master might fall? Did you really think that he will actually have reign over the wizarding world one day, were you really so foolish?'_

'_Dora please, I don't want this, I-I made a mistake. You have to help me, I need you. I can't do this alone.'_

'_Don't call me that! Don't even speak to me, ever.'_

That was a month ago.

Perhaps I was a little cruel but what else was I to do? Lucius had made his bed and now he had to lie in it. He had caused this, he had been foolish and naive and now he had to face the consequences. Of course if I could have helped him, I would have. But I couldn't

I will not join the rest of those mindless oafs's in their mission of suicide, and I will fight to the death if necessary. But I won't become like the rest of them. I won't waste my youth on a man who would discard me as soon as I no longer have any purpose to him. I won't end innocent lives for my own amusement. I will never fall to that level- I would sooner die or be disowned. Voldemort knows of my potential, no doubt from Lucius, he knows I'm an elemental, the last elemental but I refuse to fall into his hands. I want to fight for what's right, for a future people can bring their children into and no one has to fear that some psychopath will murder them.

Sitting on the train to Hogwarts alone, I had much time to think. No one came in, no one ever came in, except Lucius but his presence was hardly welcomed now. This year I had my OWL's, not that I was worried, my average for every class was O. My mind drifted to Lucius as I waited for the train to leave its platform, he would begin his NEWT lessons this year. I wondered for a moment whether being a deatheater would get in the way of my brother's studies, before I shook all thoughts of him out of my head.

I stared out at the platform, jealously watching as parent's embraced their children. Silently wishing I had that kind of relationship with my parent's the hard part is that I used to. I was always Daddy's little girl, I remember I used to give my father a tight hug every time he left for work and I cried when he was working late and couldn't tuck me into bed, mother used to get angry when that happened, she always preferred Lucius. She used to tell my father that one day I would disgrace our family and that he was blind to my numerous flaws. Then they used to fight, screaming at each other until my father would see the tears streaming down my cheeks and apologise. Mother never said anything, she would just pour herself a glass of wine, and another, and another until the bottle was empty.

I remember when I got my Hogwarts letter, mother claimed she was too busy to go to Diagon alley with me so father took a day off work and took me himself. He had beamed when I had tried on the uniform and smiled when I had asked for extra potions supplies, because even before I left for Hogwarts, potions was my favourite subject. He had been the most proud when I got my wand, twelve inches of ebony with a core of fire, water, earth and air essence. Mr Ollivander had made that wand before even my father was born; he said the holder would be a very powerful witch and that my father should be proud.

That day we had run into Narcissa Black and her mother, Druella. Father had asked the Mrs Black if they could take care of me for just half an hour while he quickly owled the ministry. Mrs Black had agreed happily, and she took me and Narcissa Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. For the short time my father was away, Mrs Black had spoken so much, she hadn't even finished a third of her ice cream. Then father had come back, holding an owl cage. The owl inside was magnificent; he was small but proud with golden feathers and a strong stature. I named him Lux, because of his golden feathers. Father had frowned for a second then, before shaking it off and smiling at me.

I wonder if he knew that I wasn't like the rest of the Malfoy's, after all the name Lux does mean light. If he knew anything, father sure didn't let on.

The train doors finally closed and it began to move, I could hear people frantically searching for the compartment holding their friends. Another wave of jealousy, I only had a few friends, no one who I trusted enough to tell my secrets to; just study buddies and a few girls sharing the dorm with me were friendly.

I could hear four very familiar voices, the marauders.

They were a group that never failed to prank anyone. They were also a group that my brother hated, and they were coming into my compartment. Oh joy.


	3. Chapter 3

James came in first still, talking to Sirius about quidditch. Remus came next looking tired but he still had a smile on his face, he always did. Then there was Peter, that little oaf, the odd one out. I would never say it to them but I envied the marauders, never had I come across a more closely knit group of friends.

It took a moment for them to notice me sitting in the corner of the compartment, staring out the window blankly. I wish I had sat with Narcissa, that obnoxious blonde bimbo at least she had the will to argue with them, defend herself from their vicious taunting. I didn't.

"Well, well, well if it isn't the Malfoy princess away from her beloved brother for once, can't blame the girl really- she's too prim and proper to join Lucius and the rest of the deatheater scum." Sirius mocked his voice harsh and judgemental as he berated my brother.

I stood up, and pointed my wand at him. Anger and sorrow were oozing from my form; acid dripping into my voice as I spoke.

"Don't speak his name in front of me again- or I'll take away your ability to speak at all." My voice was low but defensive and threatening.

They all stared at me, they had mocked me for years searching for some reaction but they had never found any. Sirius smirked.

"Why did you and dear Lucius have a little disagreement? Did the scary deatheater upset you?" He drawled, not sounding the least bit intimidated by my threat.

"You do realize _Black_, that if Lord Voldemort has recruited my brother and his friends, as you claim, it won't be long until he's after you. Blood traitor or not." My voice had a sharp edge to it and internally I grinned when I saw the flash of fear in Sirius's eyes.

"You're a bit of a hypocrite Malfoy. After all, you are a blood traitor too. I wonder if your delightful father knows that his little girl is such a disgrace to the family name." His voice didn't falter and his eyes were bright with mirth as he saw a trickle of horror make its way into my face.

"I am not a blood traitor." I replied my voice emotionless, just how mother had taught me.

They left me alone after that, talking loudly about the quidditch world cup instead. I stared out the window blankly, feeling oddly angered that Black had been right. I didn't want to be a Malfoy anymore, not if the true meaning of being a Malfoy was the same as being a deatheater. I wanted out.

Weeks ago, I had contacted professor Dumbledore and arranged to meet him at my parents' holiday home in the Scottish mountains. I had flooed there that afternoon questioning myself, second guessing myself. I had been reluctant to tell the professor what I had originally wanted to, but I broke down. Sobs wracked my body as I explained my situation to him, asking for help. My life was falling apart I had a deatheater brother, an alcoholic mother, 23 yr old Rabastan LeStrange as my fiancé. I knew he pitied me; I pitied myself no one should have to go through that much pain at the young age of fifteen.

Dumbledore's plan was harsher than I had wanted but it would get me out, so I agreed. The professor wanted me to be legally emancipated. We would do this in the Christmas holidays. He had already arranged a hearing and my mother and father would learn about it in just a few hours. We were going to use the engagement against them and I already had a good few million galleons for when the time came.

My personal accounts were private and I had invested in a little home in a secluded wizarding neighbourhood in central London. My home looked like something you would see in Paris or Italy. It was white, with big windows and even a balcony. My favourite part however is the tulip field I had discovered. Bright, beautiful tulips took up most of my little heaven. Then near the edge, there's a small waterfall with a pond that captured the water that fell from it. Beautiful wild daisies, lavenders, azaleas could be found in the field.

That was the only benefit of leaving my family home, the place I grew up. It used to be a sanctuary but not anymore.

I was pulled from my thoughts by a familiar looking owl swooping in through the open window. It brought a letter to me before playfully nipping at my finger, hoping for a snack in return for its service. I reached into the bag of owl treats I kept for Lux and pulled two out, giving one to Lux and one to the young owl. I looked down, at the letter and saw the writing recognising it immediately. Daddy.

I swallowed loudly, not sure whether to open it or not. Unfortunately for me, I didn't get the choice. The howler opened itself up.

"Pandora Malfoy! HOW DARE YOU APPLY FOR LEGAL EMANCIPATION? YOU ARE A MALFOY WHETHER OR NOT YOU DESERVE SUCH A TITLE! YOU WILL CONTACT THE MINISTER OF MAGIC IMMEDIATELY AND INFORM HIM THIS REQUEST OF YOURS WAS A MISTAKE. YOU HAD BETTER DO IT TODAY BEFORE YOUR MOTHER HAS A CHANCE TO BURN YOU OFF THE MALFOY FAMILY TREE!"

I sat perfectly still for a moment, not even breathing before I set the letter on fire. Watching as the words became unintelligible.

The marauders didn't speak; perhaps they had no idea what to say or maybe they thought I had been humiliated enough for one train ride.

I could feel their pitiful glances but I didn't care. It wasn't really anything they didn't expect from the Malfoy's. They knew my family was made up of selfish, greedy, cunning pureblood elitists.

Their pity didn't last though; it ended as soon as the trolley lady came along with an assortment of delicious candy. Of course I only assumed they were delicious, mother said a young pureblood woman should be more concerned about her figure than her stomach.

For a second I smiled, soon I would be free of mother's uptight and prudish ways. I could date boys and eat whatever I wanted and dress in colours other than black, green, and silver and blue, I could go to muggle movies and shopping centres I could even wear muggle clothes.

Most wizards didn't realise the importance of these little things but then most wizards weren't Malfoy's.


	4. Chapter 4

As I walked into the great hall most of the joy I had felt whilst looking into what my future would soon look like inflated and I was positively mirthful when I saw professor Dumbledore smile at me from the teacher's table.

I walked just how I had been taught, with elegance and poise towards the Ravenclaw and swiftly sat down further away from most of my classmates. Then the first years came in, I loved watching them, so full of glee and excitement. They are so innocent, untainted by the many hardships of life. It was quite naive of them really, by the age of eleven I had known all about the dark; in fact it was all I had known.

I waited with patience that had taken many years to build as the first years were sorted, silently awaiting what came after. As soon as the sorting hat was finished Dumbledore walked to the podium and spoke.

"Student's, Professors please listen carefully to my next announcement."

You could see the annoyance and curiosity in most of the students' eyes as they watched the intelligent headmaster.

"A student at this school has recently requested an extra class of sorts; the class will be optional for all fifth years and above. In this class you can learn more about defending yourselves from the dark arts. These classes will be every Tuesday and Friday and the new head boy and girl will be supervising. The student who requested this class is a very advanced fifth year, she will also be teaching occlumency on Sundays. The first lesson is tomorrow in here from the hours of seven until nine."

There was a second of silence before whispers of excitement broke out. Then a loud, confident voice said.

"Who is the girl that will be teaching these classes?" It was Lily Evans, that pretty red haired girl James Potter had been pining after since second year. Dumbledore smiled.

"A very good question Miss Evans and the answer is Pandora Malfoy."

I groaned internally, now no one would show up. The sound of all the students talking at once erupted into the great hall and didn't quiet until after dinner.

To my surprise, as I was walking out of the great hall I heard someone call my name, I turned to see a smiling Lily Evans in front of me.

"I just wanted to say thank you for starting this class, it really is an excellent idea, what with the war happening." She said, her green eyes shining.

"Thank you I just thought that even with the defense against the dark arts classes, not everyone could defend themselves from those despicable deatheater's long enough for the Auror's to arrive to help and for people who are maybe behind in class, it would be a great help." I said my tone friendly towards the girl.

"I couldn't agree more, I will definitely be there tomorrow." Lily smiled widely.

"Thank you, it'll be nice to see someone enthusiastic there. Sorry I can't talk more but Professor Dumbledore wants to see tomorrow's lessons plan so I will see you tomorrow." I smiled, not the tight, fake smile mother always taught me but a real smile.

"Well okay, see you tomorrow." Lily replied before joining the rest of the Gryffindor's on their way to their common room.

Happily, I walked to Dumbledore's office with a slight bounce to my walk. When I reached the Gargoyles I smiled happily, only Dumbledore would have a muggle candy as his password.

"Lemon Drops." I said clearly.

I walked up the stairs to the headmaster's office, smiling as I saw him.

"Ah, Miss Malfoy I trust you have done what I told you for the emancipation?"

"Of course Professor, everything is in order. Thank you so much. I just wanted to give you a run through of tomorrow's lesson, just in case it's not up to scratch."

"No need Pandora, I have much faith in your judgments and I trust you have everything in order."

"Well if you're sure sir." I smiled; there was just something about hearing that from the most powerful wizard ever, it made a person more confident and more eager to prove him right.

Dumbledore dismissed me after that and I went to the Ravenclaw dorms and changed into a blue nightgown. I closed the curtains on my bed and used a luminous charm to give me enough light to read a little, after all I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of anyone that came to the defense class tomorrow. The least thing I needed were more things for people to say about me. I would prove all those that hated me wrong tomorrow. I would show them that I am not just a Malfoy because I am more, I'm focused on my studies, and I'm hardworking and loyal. I'm not just a Malfoy. I'm better than that label, better than mother, father and Lucius believe because I'm not like them.

That night, I slept early around nine I had fallen asleep and was peaceful, until I began to dream.

I was in my room, at Malfoy Manor when my father barged in, followed by Lucius and then a hooded figure. I didn't have to guess; I already knew who it was- Voldemort. I stared, my eyes wide and fearful, terrified of the monster that was now in my room.

"F-father, Lucius w-what are you do-doing h-here?" I stuttered, which was quite unusual for me. Then he pushed the hood from his head and smiled maliciously. His smile was revolting, it was just so fake and it didn't fit properly, it didn't look right.

"You know why Pandora, you didn't listen to me, you chose to join the side of light, working with mudbloods and half-blood's and blood traitors like yourself. You should be ashamed of yourself- I know I am." My father replied and I looked at him in shock my Daddy had never used this cold, hateful tone when speaking to me, no he reserved this for mother.

"Daddy, please don't let him kill me, please. I'm your daughter, your little girl you're supposed to protect me, to love me no matter what happens." I pleaded with him, begging for some type of compassion from his part.

Then Voldemort looked at me, he looked right at me, his smile widening before he spoke.

"Oh we have no intention of killing you Pandora. I think an imperious will be sufficient; after all you do have so much potential. You're the last elemental – the only being with enough power to take on the entire wizarding world and succeed. It would be a waste to kill you really, when I could simply control you, but first I need to mark you. Now don't look so frightened young girl, surely a little pain is nothing compared to what you would go through if you refused." His voice wasn't loud, it was rather quiet actually, a quiet whispering drawl with less compassion than even my mother. I suppose he didn't have to be loud, he had singlehandedly started a war and then picked a few soldiers to support his campaign.

"No. I will not take your mark, I will not join your ranks, and I will not be one of your deatheater's. I refuse." My voice now had an edge. I glared at the disgusting wizard in front of me, he was everything I wasn't and I would not lower myself to his level of cruelty.

"Then I guess I will have to kill you, you pose too much of a threat you see. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

That was when I woke up, my heart racing and my body covered in sweat as I realized that it was just a dream. Recurring dream really, after all that was the fourth time I had dreamed such dark and terrible things.

I sighed, shaking my head in an effort to rid myself of the darkness that my sleeping self had witnessed. Of course it didn't work but I hardly cared, I could set Voldemort on fire without breaking a sweat and if I had too, I would. I shook my head again, my curly hair swinging around before I got out of bed, and went to the showers.

I always loved showering; it was calming and gave me time to run through today's lesson plan for defense class. I would teach them simple things today, like how to effectively disarm another wizard and a few simple shielding techniques, after all these simple little things were rather understated. Disarming a deatheater could give you enough time to escape from them, or help another person and a shield could help you block most curses, well except for the killing curse. Smiling I dressed into my uniform and then dried my hair. I always wore make up, not because I cared what people thought of me but because it made me feel less insecure about myself.

After I felt presentable I left the dorms and headed for the great hall.

Then I ran into him, Lucius. I froze, my smile disappearing and being replaced by a glare.

"Dora, I was looking for you- Father told me you contacted the minister and-"I cut him off, not caring if I was being rude.

"LEAVE ME ALONE LUCIUS! I don't want to talk you, I don't want to be around you, I don't want to be related to you , I don't even want to see you! We are not friends, we are not family. You are nothing to me and I have no desire to talk to you!" I shouted angrily, not even caring if I hurt his feelings, he sure as hell didn't care about mine when he got marked.

I took a deep breath, ignoring the pain in Lucius's expression, and started walking towards the great hall.

As soon as I knew he couldn't see me anymore, I breathed out and let myself feel the guilt I had been holding in, allowing it to fill me with pain and anguish. This only lasted for a minute though, and I carried on walking.

When I was in the great hall, I saw Lily waving to me and motioning for me to go to the Gryffindor table, where she sat with Alice Prewett. Hesitantly I walked towards the table, and took at seat next to Lily, in front of Alice.

"Good morning Lily and Alice. How can I help the two of you?" I asked my tone friendly and a smile on my face.

"Morning Pandora, I was just wondering if you wanted to have breakfast with us, Lily told me last night about how the two of you talked and I really wanted to let you know that I agree with the both of you one hundred percent. It really was an excellent idea to have these extra classes and besides, I thought we could be friends." Alice said, her tone matching mine and her smile wide.

"Thank you, I thought so too and if you want to be friends than please, call me Alex, I absolutely hate my first name." I was positively ecstatic to have become friends with the two.

Alice laughed before saying.

"I understand, my full name is Alice Ariel Prewett." We all laughed together at that one.

"Bad as that is, nothing tops Pandora Alexandra Rose Malfoy. My name is beyond embarrassing. If I ever have kids, I won't be that cruel." We all laughed again.

"Well it isn't as bad as Pandora Alexandra Rose Malfoy, but I have an aunt called Poppy Pauline Evans." Again the laughs came easily.

For the next half hour Lily, Alice and I all told stories of people with positively terrible names before we each were handed our timetables and went to double potions together, still laughing after I told them about my great aunt Mildred Millicent Malfoy.

When we reached double potions, only a few other students were there and we sat at three desks next to each other at the front. The lesson had been running for about fifteen minutes when James Potter and Sirius Black waltzed in, grinning. Slughorn smiled, as if their tardiness didn't matter to him.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, Mr. Black glad to have you joining us please, do sit down!" Slughorn was rather terrible really. He didn't care much for anyone who didn't do well in his class and worshipped anyone who did.

Potter and Black walked straight to the back and lounged on their chairs, feet on their desks. I gritted my teeth and I could see Lily doing the same. Those boys really were the bane of my existence.

The lesson would have gone well, if not for the marauders, minus Remus Lupin. They had been wrecking havoc throughout the full two hours, throwing extra ingredients into other people's potions, trying to make them blow up. Slughorn had turned a blind eye, not caring if the golden boys did nothing but cause trouble, after all they both excelled at potions without even trying.

They never dared come near to me, Alice or Lily's desks for fear of facing our wrath. I'm pretty sure that they did a double take when they saw the three of us sitting together, laughing and smiling as if we had been friends for years.

After potions, break couldn't have come at a better time considering most people's hair was sticking out in odd directions and their faces had become black from the multiple explosions caused the troublemakers.


	5. Chapter 5

The rest of the day was rather uneventful if not rather boring.

As my defence class neared I grew more and more nervous. What if no one other than Lily and Alice came?

I shook my negative thoughts away, choosing to be more optimistic. If no one came then it would be their loss when they were faced with deatheaters and had no means of escaping their clutches.

I left the evening meal early, telling Lily and Alice that I needed to change my clothes.

The ravenclaw common room was empty, everyone was still at the evening meal. I walked into the girls dormitories quickly, not wanting to be inprompt to my own class. I considered showering but thought better of it knowing I would need a shower when I came back so I prolonged it.

Once dressed in some dark skinny jeans, black converses my grandmother had secretly given me a while back and a black tanktop, with no jewellery except my Malfoy crest on I was ready. My tied back hair was bouncy in a rather annoying way but I didn't have time to correct it so I left the dorm, clutching my wand.

I was almost at the stairs when it happened, when Bellatrix happened.

"Blood traitor!" I froze, turning to look at her in horror. I tried to maintain my calm expression but I knew I was failing miserably. She knew.

"I don't know what you're talking about Black, but I think you'll find its your family that is tainted by blood traitors." My tone was defensive and even somewhat venomous. Bellatrix looked furious, her delicate features twisted with disdain and her wand pointed at me.

"Sectumsempra!" She screeched, the spell was unfamiliar to me which for some reason irked me but despite that, her intentions were as clear as crystal.

"Protego." I said quickly, doing the wand movements flawlessly and blocking her spell effectively.

It wasn't enough. She was rageful and she began sending an array of spells at me. If she hadn't been attacking me, I would have been impressed.

"Confringo! Diffindo! Impedimenta! Obscuro! Expulso!" She screeched at me, hoping to cause some kind of damage.

I blocked her curses but she wasn't in any hurry to stop.

"Expelliarmus!" Bellatrix and her want went flying, her wand going not much further than herself.

"Thats enough Bellatrix." I said, just loud enough for her to hear me.

She didn't move so I assumed she had given up on her quest to harm me. I was wrong.

I turned, and began walking towards the great hall when I heard it.

"SECTUMSEMPRA!"

A sharp pain as if a hundred or more swords had slashed the pale skin of my back, as I collapsed to the ground I saw blood and a lot of it on the cold floor, seeping through some of the hair the spell had cut off. I tried to scream, to reach for my wand but all I could feel around me was my own blood and all I managed to get out were several short and painful gasps.

The pain was unimaginable. I writhed in pain as Bellatrix walked away from me. I tried to call her name, to plea with her to get Dumbledore or even Madame Pomfrey, our new mediwitch but it was useless, I couldn't speak.

The blood around me had seeped everywhere, all over my clothes, in my hair. It mocked me.

I thought I was going to die.

Some people fear death. They fear the uncertainty of it. Is there pain? Is there relief? Is there another life after this one? They ask themselves, the one thing that keeps them sane is their faith or beliefs. Me? I don't have any of that, the idea of life after death makes me fear it even more then the uncertanty or the realization that it could happen any minute of any day. I am not afraid of death but more of what comes after. This may make you think I am a liar but thats not true. Death should be easy, it should be peaceful, living is harder. That probably does not sound right, but it is. When your dead you shouldn't have to worry about anything, your decisions shouldn't affect the people you love.

But right then it was hard to think like that. I had told Lucius I hated him, my father knew I had applied for emancipation. I had caused so much pain and I was going to cause some more.

I tried to imagine my mothers reaction. Yes she would go to my funeral and wear black for a respectable amount of time. But would she really mourn me or would that be another act on her part. She was good at that, acting. When I was young she acted like she loved me, when there were others around she acted like the perfect mother, when my father saw my tears she acted like she didn't mean to upset me. But would it be different this time? If I died would she grieve or would it just be another occasion for her to be able to drink without enraging my father. I didn't want to know in all honesty, the thought of seeing my mothers true colours was scary to me.

I wondered about Lucius, would he ever forgive me or would he feel relief that he didn't have to live up to the expectations I had of him. Lucius had been my idol for all of my childhood, I had thought so highly of him. I was biased, I never acknowledged his cruelty to those he looked down on. I always believed there was a reason behind all that, my brother was good, he wouldn't ever intentionally hurt anyone. Except he did, over and over and every time he did I ignored it for so long I was blind to his flaws, I never believed people when they said he was anything less than extraordinary.

Then finally I thought of my Daddy. He was the one person that could never hate me, he had done so much for me. He had almost left mother for me, claiming she treated me terribly and that he would divorce her, and would make sure she never saw me or Lucius again. It hadn't occurred to me then that he was just trying to help me. I had blamed myself and cried myself to sleep that night and in the morning when I could take it no longer I vowed to be better, to try to keep my family together. I never told them that I had heard that conversation, nor did I plan to. I knew my mother would just see me as weak if I did.

The pain hadn't dulled like I had hoped it would, it only increased with every moment I lay there. I tried to find my wand again and I reached around me to find it. It was with much trouble and pain that I managed to turn my head around to see the stairs to my left. Then I realised it wasn't just my back that had been skewered, it had also been the back of my neck and arms. There was blood everywhere, it was all I could see and all I could feel. For a minute I thought some of it had even smeared onto my face but then I realised I was crying.

I heard faint voices and I felt hope for a fraction of a second.

The blood from my back, neck and arms was dripping down the stairs now, my eyes were growing heavier and I succumbed to the darkness, letting myself fall into it as if it was a sanctuary. To me it was.


	6. Chapter 6

It felt like I was drowning.

I had drowned when I was seven, while at the private beach near our house is Spain. Me and Lucius were swimming in the secluded water when it happened. The waves came in and as they went back, they took me with them. I don't remember much, I just remember how heavy everything felt and how black spots dotted my vision until they were my vision. Thats how my hair became the Malfoy blonde, originally it was a caramelly colour. Like my mothers was before she started to dye it the Malfoy blonde. I spent almost an hour under the water and yet I had managed to survive. I think it was part of my powers as an elemental that protected me, any normal child would have died.

But this feeling was different, it was like I had been pulled out of the water. My body felt heavy but it was getting lighter and lighter.

I opened my eyes.

I was in the hospital wing and I could see through the windows that it was late. I attempted to move but found myself unable. I felt completely paralysed and terror ran through my body.

Memories of my fight with Bellatrix returned and I reached my hand over to my back only to find that I was covered in bandages. I looked down at my attire only to realise I was wearing a hospital gown.

Then I heard it, a soft snore.

I gasped and turned my head to my left, only to see Sirius Black asleep on an uncomfortable looking chair beside my bed.

I froze. His shirt was stained with blood, my blood. He had my malfoy crest necklace clutched in his hand.

Sirius Black had saved my life. The necklace must have been broken by the spell and he must have brought it here for me. Sirius Black had done this for me.

I don't know how long I lay there, just staring at him deeply in thought but at some point I must have fallen asleep.

I woke up in pain.

The memories once again flooding back but this time tears started streaming down my eyes and I was screaming.

Then I was in his arms.

Sirius was holding me tightly, whispering soothing words into my ear as I sobbed uncontrollably. I held him just as tightly, feeling safer with him near me. Soon my sobs began to subside and the tears stopped falling and yet he didn't let go as if he knew I still needed the security of him holding me.

Seconds. Minutes. An hour.

He gently pulled away, just far enough to look at me. The real me. That scared and lonely girl that no one else knew existed.

"Its okay, no ones going to hurt you like that again." His voice was hard and I believed him. But I couldn't help but wonder.

"Why are you being so nice to me, I don't deserve it."

"I know you're not like them, I've known since we were ten. Bellatrix...she did this to you didn't she?" I stared in quiet admiration for him. After all the times I had called him a blood traitor and all the times my brother had taunted him he hadn't held a grudge.

"Thank you." I said, ignoring his question.

"Pandora, tell me who did this to you. People go to azkaban for spells like this. I'm serious, who did this to you?" His voice was pleading. His eyes not holding the mischief they usually did.

"It...It was Bellatrix." I whispered. He didn't look surprised. Why would he? He was related to Bellatrix. He knew how sadistic she was.

The worst part is, Bella and I used to be friends.

Mother had tea parties all the time when we were young and Bellatrix would always attend along with her mother. We used to sneak into my kitchen together and take cookies and milk. Then we'd have our own tea party. We would use my dolls as guests and play for as long as her mother would stay.

Then she went to hogwarts and one year later I was sorted into Ravenclaw. Bella just didn't want to know after that. She spent her time with my brother instead of me and we drifted apart. I wondered whether or not she too was a deatheater.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by Sirius.

His face was closer now. We were looking at each other and hesitantly Sirius came closer, and then I did so too. He was so close, our lips were nearly touching.

He kissed me.

My first ever kiss and it was with Sirius Black. Our lips moved together and he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. I wrapped my arms around his neck, our bodies were flush against each other. He kissed me harder and yet when he parted my lips it was still gentle. My hands were now in his hair, running my fingers through the soft waves. He pulled his mouth away from mine and began to kiss my neck. His lips as light as feathers on my skin.

"Miss Malf- MR BLACK WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? STOP BOTHERING MY PATIENT!" It was out new medi-witch, Madam Pomfrey. A pretty and young woman who had started work at Hogwarts just last year.

We jumped apart, both of us blushing profusely. Sirius spoke.

"Er...I should go. I'll come back...later?" He spoke quietly, only to me.

I nodded my head, my face still red.

He left and Madam Pomfrey walked up to my bed, still muttering under her breath.

She thrust a potion at me. I stared at it.

"For the pain." She said answering my silent question.

"Thank you." I said, she didn't reply. I opened the bottle and swallowed the potion.

It tasted foul, Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes at my expression and walked to a bed on the other side of the room, in it was a young, sleeping Hufflepuff.

The potion took less than a minute to work. Madam Pomfrey left after that and the Hufflepuff didn't linger for long after. I was still too weak to go to my lessons so I just lay there, deep in thought. It doesn't take and academic to know what I was thinking about.

Sirius.


	7. Chapter 7

Sirius Black kissed me. And I let him.

There weren't any fireworks, or any romantic music or even any spark. It was just me and him, together and it was amazing. It wasn't like the clichéd kiss I had read about. It was better.

We stayed like that for a long time, occasionally stopping for air. I don't know what I was thinking. I wasn't thinking at all if I'm perfectly honest. I was living in the moment for the first time and it felt amazing to just be myself. I wasn't a Malfoy or an outcast or even a pureblood. I was just me.

I guess it was stupid really, letting Sirius Black take my first kiss away from me. But I don't think I would have wanted to give it to anyone else. Even so, it would have been nice to have lost my lip virginity to someone who hadn't been with more than half of my classmates. But then maybe that's why the kiss was so outstanding, because he's had so much experience with so many other girls. The thought made me feel sick. I was like them now, one Sirius Black's girls. More like one of his slut's really. I felt ashamed that I was this weak, desperate, stupid girl who had let Sirius Black use her.

He left after that, the kiss. Something about needing to see Remus Lupin I think. I was in too much of a daze to pay attention. But now I'm looking at my reflection in a little hand mirror and wondering how long this daze would last.

My reflection didn't please me. In never really did. But now I looked worse than usual, my hair still cut unevenly from the curse, my eyes even wider than usual and my lips red and swollen from the kiss.

I was deep in thought. Why had Sirius Black kissed me? I wasn't like the rest of his girls. I wasn't pretty, easy or for lack of a better word busty. I was plain and quiet and modest. Maybe he was just bored and I seemed like a willing candidate, maybe he wanted to anger Lucius or maybe he wanted to try his luck with someone who wasn't one of his bimbo's. Either way it didn't matter, for he was gone and I was in no hurry to ask him these questions. It seemed for now I was just going to have to wait, still in a rapture of confusion about my feelings for Sirius Black.

Perhaps thats why I didn't notice him, standing at the door of the hospital wing.

Lucius.

It seemed my brother wasn't too keen to do what I had asked countless times and leave me alone. He was so selfish. Why couldn't he just make this easy for the both of us? Why did he insist on causing me such unbearable pain? Was he blind? Did he not see how much I was hurting?

But then I couldn't really blame him. Had I been in his condition I would have come running. There was nothing that could stop me from loving my brother, but that didn't mean I had to like him all the time. I would never be able to forgive Lucius for what he did to me, to himself.

There was a part of me that wished he had just come to me, and asked for my help. I'm sure what exactly I would have done but I know for sure I wouldn't have let him make such a foolish mistake that he would have to pay for for the rest of his life. It hurt to think of it like that but it was true, Lucius wouldn't just get to walk his way out of this mess.

I hoped that the experience helped my brother to grow as a person and see the error of his ways. Of course this was all wishful thinking. Lucius would never learn the difference between right and wrong if he hadn't done so already.

He didn't say much, in fact he didn't say anything at all. He just hugged me to him, and I let him because he needed this and I needed my brother. He was sobbing. I always thought Lucius looked like an angel and it hurt to see him cry. Angels shouldn't cry.

Its odd really, how I managed to keep my humanity somewhat intact all these years. It was never easy but it was something to hold onto I guess. But then why would it be easy? Anyone could be perfectly humane if they have a perfect life. But my life was far from perfect and yet somehow I had managed to get by.

So why couldn't Lucius? He and I had been given similar upbringings and yet he had all but lost every shred of his humanity when he became a deatheater. Why couldn't he have been stronger? I know its selfish but Lucius could have been better, he should have been better.

I pushed him away.

I looked into his eyes, searching for something, anything to hint that my brother was still somewhere inside. I didn't what I was looking for. His eyes were empty, hollow and had a new glimmer of ice in them that I didn't recognise.

Then I let go. I let go of my last shred of family. I let go of my best friend. I let go of my protector. I let go of my brother.

I didn't feel a thing but thats what scares me.

He left after that, I think he saw it coming. He knew that someday I would see what I had been trying to avoid for so long.

I went back to sleep after that.

Sadly for me, nothing ever goes my way and I was rudely woken up by none other than Sirius Black.

Okay so maybe I'm exaggerating. But can you blame me? Here I am wounded and in pain and Sirius bleeding Black bounds in swearing about how Pomfrey hid her medicines in stupid places and whatever else.

So being the lovely person I am I took it upon myself to give a helping hand.

"What in the name of Merlin are you doing? Shut the hell up, some people are actually trying to sleep!" I all but screeched at him.

He turned around and flashed me one of his smiles before sauntering over.

"Hello beautiful, how are you?" He asked leaning in close and giving me a sweet, little kiss. Once again making me blush.

"Well I was a lot better...you know, before you woke me up." I replied.

"Sorry about that love, I was looking for some medicine to numb some pain. Wouldn't know where Pomfrey keeps it by any chance?" He said, and somehow my irritation melted away just a little bit.

"Nope, why do you need it anyway?" I was curious, as far as I could tell there was nothing wrong with him.

"I can't tell you that." He said, his voice a little more serious now.

"Sirius, if something's going on you're going to have to tell me so that I can help you."

"Look I can't tell you...Its not my secret to tell and if you know how to help then you need to tell me now."

I took a deep breath, I didn't want to tell Sirius I was an Elemental but if I knew Sirius Black at all I knew that something was seriously wrong here.

"Sirius, you have to promise that what I'm about to tell you is kept between us. I'm an Elemental Sirius. Not just an Elemental but one of the pure Elemental's. I have the power to control all five elements and I can help you. I can heal whatever injury someone has. Let me help Sirius."

"Its Remus. He's hurt." His tone was different now, he seemed in pain himself. It was only in that moment that I realised how close the Marauders really were. It was like the relationship I used to have with Lucius and I was jealous.

"Where?" I asked, feeling worried now. Remus Lupin was many things but he was not one to over exaggerate and if Sirius Black was worried something would have to be terribly wrong.

"In the Gryffindor common room, in the boys dormitories."

"Lead the way." I urged him, feeling anxious about what state Remus could possibly be in that would make Sirius Black seem so on edge.

He seemed hesitant but he helped me off the bed and took my hand. His hand was big, his fingers long and elegant yet strong and masculine at the same time. Silly as it was, I didn't want him to let go. And it was at that moment that I realised that I had a school girl crush on Sirius Black, Hogwarts' resident playboy. I felt like all my morals were just gone. How had I been so stupid? What would mother say if she could see me now. She would be ashamed of me, not that she wasn't always ashamed but more so than ever. Or so she would have said, I hardly believed it was possible for my mother to be more ashamed than she already was.

I don't know why but I trusted Sirius Black. Maybe it was my little infatuation with him that made me feel this way. Maybe I was just too trusting. Maybe Sirius was better than I believed him to be. For my sake I hoped it was the latter, I had never had a crush on a boy before and I hoped that this all wouldn't go terribly wrong as it seemed all Sirius' flings did.


	8. Chapter 8

Authors note: Sorry if the spelling and punctuation is terrible, I was up doing this late and the stupid spell check won't work :(

Anyway thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Hogwart's was rather sinister at night. The hallways cold and covered with gothic images of those that were now dead. Even the ghosts who were harmless seemed to become more intimidating in the dark.

But somehow, walking hand in hand with Sirius Black made these thoughts travel to the back of my mind. He gripped my hand tightly, as if he needed the support. He was practically shaking and if I didn't know any better I would have called him scared. We were walking quickly, almost like a slow jog and I struggled to keep up with him in my wounded state.

Suddenly he stopped outside a head to toe portrait of a plump woman, wearing a rose coloured frock and glaring at Sirius intensly.

"Black. What are you doing here so late and with a girl no less." She was irritated and her voice was whiny.

"Coraggio e Spirito." He urged out.

She reluctantly let us in and Sirius led me towards some stairs at the back of the dark room. Then I saw him. Remus Lupin.

His was laying shirtless on a bed in the corner of the room. His chest covered in blood and deep red gashes that were seeping out red liquid like fountains. James Potter and Peter Pettigrew were crouching at both sides of the bed, looking pained.

"Sirius! Did you get it? Whats Malfoy doing here?" Potter said in a rushed voice. The laughing tone I had always heard was not in his voice now.

"I couldn't find it, but she can help. She can heal him." Sirius replied.

"Then help." James pleaded with me and I walked towards the bed.

Pettigrew moved as I approached his side of the bed. I gasped as I took a closer look at Remus' chest. Remus was practically writhing with pain.

I slowly moved my hands towards his chest and placed them where his heart was. Then I closed my eyes and allowed the magic to pass from the palms of my hands to the skin on Remus' chest. I felt a familiar darkness fill me up inside as he healed. The darkness was unwelcome within me and yet it always made its way back into me. Every time I had healed someone in the past I had felt it, depressing as it is the darkness felt safe, it felt like home.

As I removed my hands from Remus' now flawless chest I opened my eyes to see the looks of astoundment around me. Sirius was now crouched down next to me and he pulled me to him.

"Thank you, thank you so much." He whispered into my ears.

Remus fell asleep after that, his body too drained to stay awake. The rest of us, however were completely coherent and simply went down to the Gryffindor common room. I had to explain what I was after that. I had never particularly liked the Marauders but now I had a new sense of respect for them. I didn't know how Remus had obtained such an injury and frankly I'm sure its better that I stayed ignorant.

I almost felt a bond with the Marauders, a brotherly one towards James and Remus. It was like with Lucius, except with these boys I knew they weren't going to be like Lucius. No they were above that.

That night I sat in the strong arms of Sirius Black for hours on end, until he insisted to taking me back to the hospital wing. I was so exhausted by the time we were walking back that Sirius had to carry me after two incidents where I fell down.

The hospital wing was empty when we got there, like it had been when we left and I fell asleep the moment my head touched the pillow.

It seemed Sirius Black enjoyed waking me, for he had done so twice in twenty four hours. This time however it was a welcome awakening.

I opened my heavy eyes to see him standing beside my bed in the hospital wing. He was holding a steaming cup in one hand and a little plate in the other and he had his irritating, adorable, cheeky signature smile. I wished I had a camera with me because in that moment he looked stunning.

"Morning beautiful, I got you some breakfast."

"Sometimes Sirius, I think your lacking in the optical department." I said rather bitterly, knowing what a mess I looked.

"Trust me love, I'm not lacking in _any_ department. Your more than welcome to come and check." He was smirking now, as I was blushing.

"I'll have to pass." I managed to get out.

He then put the cup and plate on my bedside table and crouched closer to me and pulled me into a kiss. I considered pushing him away but found myself unable to, how could I? He took over my thoughts and I felt, breathed and had was Sirius.

All too soon he pulled away, smirking again as if he knew how much that smirk irritated me.

"As much as I'd love to continue this, were in a hospital wing and I have transfiguration in ten minutes." He said to me, smirking and pressing a quick kiss on my forehead.

"Will you come back?" I asked sounding incredibly needy.

"I have a free period in a couple of hours, I'll be here." He whispered to me.

"Thank you Sirius."

"I have to go, enjoy your breakfast."

And then he was gone. He had a tendancy of doing that, leaving suddenly and leaving me flustered. I picked up the cup and plate he had left for me, coffee and a croissant. My favourite.

It was strange in a way. Me and Sirius had never gotten along as children, he made me feel unsettled with his knowledge of my being a blood traitor. His cousin Bella however, was a good friend of mine. How things had changed.

Now Bella hated me with a fiery passion that I did not understand. I guess she felt betrayed that I had changed and I had left her behind. As for Sirius, I had gone from disliking him immensely to kissing him every chance I got and now we were...I don't know what we were but we certainly didn't dislike each other anymore.

I had grown to respect Sirius, he was different to how I thought. I had no idea how he felt about me or how I felt about him but I didn't want to go back to the way we used to be. I preferred the new side of him much more than the old.

Sirius was true to his word annd he came back two hours later.

He was not alone however, beside him stood a very healed, very healthy looking Remus Lupin. He explained what happened that night, and boy did it come as a shock.

"The truth is Pandora...I'm a werewolf and I have been for the past twelve years. Ever since Fenrir Greyback bit me as a child. Dumbledore let me come to Hogwarts despite it, and he sends me to the whomping willow during the full moon so that I can't hurt anyone. Two years ago James, Sirius and Peter learned how to become animagus and have been helping me, making the transformations easier. Last night things got out of hand when we ran into another werewolf in the forbidden forest, we managed to get away but not completely unscathed. I know this is all probably a shock and you must feel disgusted but please, you can't tell anyone."

"I'm not disgusted...I'm just shocked. Your transformations, they must be terrible Remus. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, its not your fault and besides I've been going through them for a while. Its not so bad anymore." I could tell he was lying to make me feel better. My heart broke for Remus, he was such an amazing person and he didn't deserve this.

Remus left shortly after that, saying he need to study for his herbology test. And then it was just Sirius and I.

He didn't say anything he just kissed me and of course I let him. We kissed for so long and I knew Sirius was missing classes but I didn't care.

I wanted to keep kissing him and just letting time fly like that but there was something in the back of my mind bothering me.

"Sirius? What are we?"

"Were wizards" He said, coming closer again, to kiss me but I turned my face and his lips landed on my cheek.

"You know thats not what I mean." My tone was different now, more demanding and far more serious.

"I don't know what we are. I just know that for once I found a girl that I like and who I can actually talk to."

"I don't want to be like your other girls." I told him, because honestly who wanted to be one of Sirius Black's sluts? I was above that.

"Your not like the other girls."

"Then what am I?"

"You are Pandora Malfoy, my girlfriend." I smiled brightly at that. I, Pandora Malfoy was dating Sirius Black. Who would have thought that the Gryffindor playboy would end up with the Ravenclaw weird girl. Well certainly not me.

"Girlfriend? I thought you didn't have girlfriends."

"Well like I said your different." And then he kissed me again and once again I let him because he was Sirius Black and I was his girlfriend.


	9. Chapter 9

It was early morning, well before classes when Sirius came in. His signature smirk and ebony hair perfectly intact when he walked towards me. I sat on the edge of the hospital bed, dressed in a crisp white shirt, black pleated skirt, blue and bronze tie perfectly in place with a pair of black stiletto's on my feet. My hair fell in heavy white-blonde curls down to my waist. My eyes were lined thinly with black and my eyelids were a smoky silver colour. My pale face held a hint of pink blusher and my lips were a natural coral colour.

"Wow." Sirius said, causing me to laugh loudly and stand up to kiss his cheek.

"Well I was tired of looking like an absolute tramp whilst you look like a Greek god." I explained.

He kissed me hard on the lips.

"Your beautiful without all this." He whispered to me.

I nearly laughed in his face. I wasn't beautiful at all, I was odd looking-ugly. Everything about me looked sickly, like a ghost and if Sirius saw any differently than he was more stupid than any man I knew. I hated the way I looked almost more than I hated what my appearance represented everything I hated about myself. My family, their elitism, their intolerance.

"Whatever." I said, kissing him back.

After a minute he pulled away and laughed.

"A Greek god?" He asked, I blushed.

"Shut up Black."

He opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off with a kiss, it didn't last long. I pushed him away gently as Madam Pomfrey came towards us.

"Mr Black how many times do I have to tell you to stop harassing my patients?" She all but screamed at him.

"What can I say Poppy? I'm deeply in love with you and so I hound your patients in an attempt to catch your attention." I broke out into laughter and even Madam Pomfrey had a slight smile to her lips before she turned to me.

"Miss Malfoy are you sure your ready to leave? You can stay for another night and rest." She asked me.

"I'm sure Madam Pomfrey, I need to get back to my classes now but thank you for the offer." I smiled at the strict woman.

"Well okay then, but take it easy." She smiled back albeit slightly mechanically.

I then pulled on my robe and picked up school bag from the bed and Sirius and I left the hospital wing hand in hand.

"So how is Remus?" I asked him.

"Thanks to you, he's doing good."

"Well I'm glad, he doesn't deserve to have to go through that kind of pain. No one does."

"Some people do, murderers and criminals. Some people are beyond forgiveness."

"It isn't our place to judge others, nor is it our place to condemn them. Everyone was given the liberty of free will and so long as it does not affect others, how they use it is their business."

Sirius looked at me for a second before speaking.

"You really are the kindest person I have met."

"I just try to live and let live." He kissed my cheek softly with a gentle smile on his face.

I wasn't particularly religious, I preferred to think of myself as a humanitarian but there was always one quote in the bible that I had remembered and that meant a lot to me. "_Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." _It was something my Grandmother had firmly believed.

I often wondered whether there actually was such a thing as God. Sometimes I would believe in such a being, other times I didn't because if there was such an almighty creator then why was there so much suffering in the world. Why did babies die and people kill? Why did people like the Malfoy's get to be so fortunate whilst other people live on the streets?

I shook my head gently, trying to shake the thoughts out of my head before they became permanent or I had an epiphany that was a long time due. We passed a few Hufflepuff's in our year and they stared at us as if they couldn't believe the sight. I sighed.

"I have a feeling that us being together would have been much easier if I just stayed in the hospital wing for the rest of my Hogwart's career." Sirius laughed at me.

"Easier? Probably but just because some things hard doesn't mean you shouldn't do it anyway." He said wisely.

"I guess." He was right, I couldn't stay hidden away forever.

So we walked towards the great hall in a comfortable silence, thats what I loved about Sirius. He could leave a person to the thoughts without feeling the need to fill the silence with pointless babble.

I thought about the reaction our relationship would bring, Lucius would be furious and of course he would go straight to my parents with the information. I would bring more shame to the family than I already had. The strange thing was, I didn't care at all. Sirius made me happy and people spend their whole lives looking for happiness, to throw something like that away because others don't approve is damn near stupid.

We were just around the corner now, but I stopped.

"Will she be there, Bellatrix?" I asked him quietly.

"Probably but she won't come near you. Not with James, Remus, Peter and I around." He answered.

"I don't want to be seen out in public with you." I teased him. He smirked at me

"Is that so?" He moved closer to me, close enough to touch, close enough to kiss.

So I didn't reply, I simply kissed him on the lips. We stood there for a few moments, happily oblivious to the rest of the world. Of course it didn't last.

"Oi Padfoot! Stop eating face and lets get some food!" James, the idiot shouted at us.

Sirius pulled away from me smiling.

"We'll finish this later." He whispered into my ear before putting his arm around me and guiding me towards the great hall behind James, Remus and Peter.

As we walked into the great hall people began to stare and before I knew it everyone was whispering. I turned my head to Sirius's chest and he kissed the top of my head in a way that comforted me. He led me straight to the Gryffindor table where the Marauders always sat.

"How are you feeling Pandora?" Remus asked looking concerned, I smiled weakly.

"I'm fine Remus, you can call me Alex you know. Pandora is a ridiculous name." I answered him.

The conversation was pretty smooth after that until of course James decided to ruin a perfectly good breakfast by asking Lily out just as she approached the table.

"Oi Evans! Go out with me?" He shouted to her.

Lily's face went red with embarassment and anger. She looked rather deranged.

"POTTER FOR THE LAST TIME NO! I WILL NOT DATE YOU! LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screeched at him so loudly the entire great hall was silent as they waited for his reaction.

"You'll date me someday Evans." He said cockily before turning away.

I held in my laughter as Lily stormed over to Alice and sat down angrily. I looked straight ahead for a moment only to see Bellatrix Black glaring at me menacingly. Blood Traitor she mouthed at me. Sirius followed my eyes to her before glaring back fiercly and then kissing me on the lips in a long, slow kiss. I kissed him back, weaving my hands into his amazing hair. I felt him move his hands to my hips, pulling me closer to him.

I realised that Sirius had a habit of doing that, kissing me in public places. I had always thought public displays of affection were quite indecent so I pulled away from him. He looked at me in confusion.

"Not in front of everyone." I said to him.

Sirius rolled his eyes at me before capturing my lips again and this time I couldn't bring myself to pull away so I kissed him back. We were getting quite carried away until the moment was ruined by James throwing a piece of toast at us.

"Padfoot, some of us are trying to eat here." Sirius only smirked before moving his lips to my ear.

Sirius smirked before moving his lips to my ear.

"You might want to duck Lexie, this is going to get nasty." I raised an eyebrow at the nickname but did what he said nonetheless.

I ducked under the table before the start of a fully blown food fight.

I could see everything under the table, I watched with glee as Sirius threw a bowl of cereal into Bellatrix Black's mane of messy black curls. She looked murderously at him and I fought the urge to shiver, suddenly the food fight wasn't so amusing any more.

Sirius ducked under the table with me at some point I opened my mouth to talk but he pulled me into a kiss, I don't have the slightest idea how long we stayed there but when we came out from our hiding place the food fight was pretty much over and we only had five minutes left until potions, a class we had together.

So he took my hand and we walked towards the dungeons together, prepared for any other surprises Hogwart's threw at us.


	10. Chapter 10

I was used to sitting alone in potions, afterall I was never accepted by the Ravenclaw's never mind the Gryffindor's and so I walked towards my usual seat on the left side of the room where I had sat on my own for the past six years.

"Alex?" I turned to Remus who was now smiling at me gently.

"Yes Remus?" I smiled back, although I didn't know him very well I was convinced that Remus was the last person on earth who deserved the pain of being a werewolf.

"Would you like to sit with me?" I noticed that Peter Pettigrew wasn't here and I assumed he hadn't gotten a good enough grade last year to be able to continue potions, that wasn't surprising the boy was a mindless oaf.

I nodded at Remus and took the seat next to him, in front of Sirius and James but behind Lily and Alice.

"Good one Moony, now my view has improved spectacularly. Not that I don't like Peter but for some reason I find Lexie's ass much nicer to look at." I turned around to Sirius, feeling positively scandalised by his words but he simply smirked and winked at me pervert that he was.

"Can you stop calling me that?" I asked Sirius.

"What? Lexie?" He asked innocently as though he had no clue how annoying the nickname was.

"I'm serious, its annoying the hell out of me." I glared at him murderously.

"Oh Lexie, I think you'll find that I am Sirius." I rolled my eyes at the joke that he had made so many times in the past six years that it didn't even earn him a smile any more.

"Its only been a day but I have started to ask myself why on earth I am dating you." I replied mockingly.

"My good looks of course." I laughed loudly.

"Not to mention your outstanding modesty." I said sarcastically before turning around just as Professor Slughorn entered the room.

Remus and I were a good team, completing the task before everyone else and both of us getting an outstanding. Lily and Alice were of course a close second and despite how little attention they had payed Sirius and James finished third much to the displeasure of the Ravenclaw's in the class.

Remus and I had quite a while to talk then.

Once again I was filled with sympathy for him, he really was lovely and I felt furious towards whatever horrid person had cursed him so with lycanthropy. I yearned to help him, if only there was a potion or a spell out there that could give him the life he deserved. My mind drifted to Lucius and his friends, now all deatheater's and for a moment I found myself wishing one of them had been condemned to such pain instead Remus. I almost felt guilty for wishing such a thing upon anyone but being around Remus it was so easy to do so.

Maybe there was a way of helping Remus, a concoction with silver in it to attack the mutated lycan genes? Maybe some bizarre plant or herb that causes the body to attack itself that could be isolated to just those genes? Or maybe even the blood of an elemental like myself to heal him from the inside? I vowed to myself I would do my best to help Remus whether that meant healing his injuries every month for the rest of my life or finding some miraculous cure.

We were walking out of potions, Sirius and I still laughing at James' pathetic attempts to get a date with Lily when I saw them. My brother, Lucius standing hand in hand with Narcissa Black smiling and talking without a care in the world. He caught my eye for a moment and his smile became forced before he looked away as though looking at me was poisonous.

I could feel Sirius' eyes on me and I forced a smile in his direction and though he smiled back I knew he had seen my misery for that one moment I let myself feel it. He looked as though he wanted to speak but I beat hi to it.

"I have to go to Arithmancy." I stood on my tiptoes and managed to place a chaste kiss upon his lips before I turned to leave.

Lily was only a little ahead of me so I quickened my pace and walked with her towards the class knowing that Sirius would eventually find an oppurtunity to speak to me about what I had just witnessed.

Arithmancy passed far too quickly for my liking and it was break time. I reluctantly walked with Lily to the great hall where I knew Sirius would be. I smiled at Sirius as I walked towards him but I stopped in my tracks when an owl I recognised as my fathers flew above me and dropped a letter into my awaiting hands. Except it wasn't a letter, it was another howler. I looked up at Sirius, he nodded towards the door and I rushed out of the hall before the howler could begin screaming at me. Sirius followed.

"PANDORA MALFOY HOW DARE YOU EMBARRASS US THIS WAY? FIRST YOU APPLY FOR EMANCIPATION, THEN YOU BEFRIEND MUDBLOOD'S AND BLOOD TRAITORS ALIKE, YOU ATTACK BELLATRIX BLACK AND NOW WE HEAR YOU ARE DATING THAT FOUL BLOOD TRAITOR SIRIUS BLACK? YOU UNGRATEFUL, PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A PURE BLOOD YOU WILL EITHER WRITE BACK TO YOUR FATHER AND I IMMEDIATELY BEGGING FOR OUR FORGIVENESS THOUGH YOU DON'T DESERVE IT OR YOU WILL BE DISOWNED!"

The howler then tore itself into peices and I slid down onto the floor, fighting to keep my tears at bay. I lost that fight and I was sobbing pathetically.

Sirius pulled me into his arms and picked up my bag before carrying me to some unknown location. I kept my head buried in his chest, trying to calm myself and failing miserably. I was so anngry at myself for caring about the howler, angry at them for being such elitists and angry at Lucius who had surely given them the information about my new friends, my fight with Bellatrix and my relationship with Sirius.

Why did I care what my mother thought? After everything she had said and done, after I had separated myself from them so completely why did I still care? I hated how much I still craved her acceptance and how I was still naive enough to believe that she loved me despite everything. I wanted to scream, to break things, to confront her but I knew I wouldn't. I had a defence mechanism drilled into me from when I was a child and after all the crying I would just wash my face, re-apply my make up and put a smile on my face. Its all I had ever known.

I realised where Sirius had taken me when he walked past the door thrice, the room of requirement. Inside there was a big four poster bed, a fireplace, a sink in the corner and a vanity. He took me to the bed and lay me down before curling up next to me, holding me close.

I let myself cry for a few more minutes before I pulled away from Sirius and walked towards the sink. I washed my face of any make up that may have remained and then I walked to the vanity. I could feel Sirius watching me from the bed as I put more make up on. I picked up a soft red lipstick for a moment before putting it back down and walking over to where Sirius was still sat on the bed.

I kissed him, passionately and he kissed me back with just as much heat. I pushed him down so he was lying down before climbing on top of him, laying my body on top of his own. He smirked before flipping us around so he was on top of me. He rested his hands on either side of my head so I wouldn't feel all of his weight and I tangled my fingers into his hair, pulling him down to kiss me again.

I could have stayed there with him all day, but he pulled away from me no longer smiling but looking concerned.

"Lexie, about the howler...are you okay?" He asked me hesitantly.

I thought about it for a second before walking over the vanity where I had left the lipstick, I picked it up and smeared it over my lips.

"Lexie come on, you can tell me." I could hear the frustration in his voice.

"I'm fine Sirius, really...I just needed a minute to process it all." A lie we could both see through like glass.

I turned to him and gave him the biggest, happiest smile I could muster as if that would somehow prove to him that I was okay. But he knew better, I don't know how he did it but Sirius Black had a way of seeing through everything and just see me.

"You don't have to put a mask on around me, I know what you're going through and I can help you get through it." His eyes were soft and his words honest but I couldn't tell him how I felt, no it was better he thought I was simply cold than the mess I was inside.

"I know you're here for me and when I need you're support I will ask you for it but right now all I need is for us to get to transfiguration on time."

Sirius looked unconvinced and even more frustrated than before but he handed me my bag from where it sat on the floor and put an arm around me as we walked to our next lesson with so much tension that I could cut through it like a steak knife can cut through butter.


	11. Chapter 11

Hey guys, I am so sorry I haven't updated in what feels like forever but my laptop screen cracked and I had to send it to repair which took forever then a few weeks later when I got it back the crack reappeared so I had to send it in again -_- And I know this chapters really short but I wanted to get a new one up as soon as possible. So here it is :)

I sighed as I sat down on my bed, I had spent the rest of the day avoiding Sirius and even though we had only been together for a short while I missed his presence.

I had done my best to stay close to Lily and Alice during lessons then during dinner I had made sure to start a group discussion so that Sirius would not be able to speak to me in private as he had wanted to.

Honestly I did not know what I would say to him, I hated the idea of him knowing that I missed my old life. I missed the dinner parties and the extravagant gowns and dresses and how much easier it was to put on an act and keep my family's love. I missed Lucius talking to me about girls and laughing at all the ridiculous men who had approached me looking for a baby maker to keep their bloodlines pure.

That was all lost now and the reality of it had just hit me. I would never speak to Lucius in that way again nor would I ever receive that kind of attention from men. Ridiculous as it sounds, I would miss that world.

I wondered whether it was too hopeful to think that one day my parents would see just how terrible their elitist ways were and we would be reconciled. I wanted my father to walk me down the isle at my wedding and I wanted my mother to sit at the front crying with Lucius threatening my future husband not to hurt me. I wanted my children to have cousins and a big loving family with grandparents that spoiled them and an uncle that loved them dearly.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by an owl however, it flew through the open window and dropped a note into my lap.

_Meet me in the room or requirement in an hour._

_Sirius_

I read through it twice, somewhat startled at how cold it sounded of course that was to be expected I had after all avoided him for the past four hours which was a long time considering we practically lived in the same place. I shook these thoughts out of my head and then decided to shower before going.

I stood cautiously outside the room of requirement, I was one or two minutes early despite how much I had deliberated on my outfit and how long I had fretted over my damp hair.

Eventually I just threw on some tight jeans, a loose knit jumper and ballet flats realizing that I was only going to the room of requirement.

I checked my watch again, perfectly on time.

Reluctantly I walked past the wall three times and when the door appeared I walked through it dreading the imminent argument with Sirius.

He stood there, wearing all black and looking even more delicious than usual. Silently he walked towards me and I stood perfectly still until he was right in front of me.

"You came." He murmured before connecting his lips with my own and pulling me close to him. The kiss was frustrated, passionate and yet sweet all at once.

He pulled away abruptly, running his fingers through his hair as he often did and then he turned away from me.

"Sirius?" I placed my hand on his shoulder but as soon as I was touching him he turned and my hand fell to my side.

"Damn it Lexie, I know what you're going through! Why won't you talk to me?" He sounded hurt and I immediately felt guilty for causing him the evident pain he was feeling.

"I am talking to you."

"No, no you have been avoiding me since what happened at lunch."

"What happened at lunch was nothing...just a moment of weakness on my part."

"God Lexie why won't you just tell me the truth?"

"This is the truth Sirius."

"Stop lying to me!"

"Sirius, I want to talk to you...I just can't." I said the words pathetically.

"And why can't you?" He shouted the words at me and I flinched.

"Because I don't want to disappoint you." I looked down at my hands but Sirius gently pulled my chin up so my eyes would meet his.

"You can't help what you feel Lexie and you can tell me anything. I won't judge you." I stared into his eyes for another moment. They were like molten silver and it was easy to fall into a trance by looking at them.

"I miss my family." I brought my eyes down now, not wanting to see his disappointment.

"Look at me." I couldn't do it though, I didn't want to see his face as he realised just how weak I really was.

"Please, look at me." His voice was pleading and I could not deny him anything so I hesitantly brought my eyes back up to meet his.

"I've been trying so hard to not be like them and to distance myself and know I shouldn't miss them but I do and I don't know how to stop it." I whispered this feeling tears well up in my eyes.

"You have to feel this Lexie, this is what makes you different to them. You are compassionate and that is never a bad thing even when the people you feel your compassion for don't deserve it."

"You really believe that?"

"Yes, I really do." He kissed me then, a slow and gentle kiss that only lasted a moment but even so I couldn't help but miss his warm lips against mine.

"I'm sorry Sirius."

"Its okay Lexie, but you have to know I'm not going anywhere and I care about you." I couldn't help but smile then.

"I know you do."

"Then stop making it so hard, I'm not going to hurt you."

"I know you won't." He kissed me again, this time it was less gentle and more fiery and I wanted us to stay there forever.

But of course, we couldn't do that so at some point Sirius pulled away from me grinning.

"Well if I had have known that the rumors about you being good kisser were true, I would have ditched the family years ago." I said to him.

"The rumors about me are true, but I find it impossible to believe that you kept your skills a secret all these years."

"Don't complain, if other people knew I could have moved on to bigger and better things by now." I said flirtatiously.

"Trust me, you won't find anyone bigger or better than me." He replied cockily and I outright laughed at his words with him joining in a second later.

"Come on Lex, it's nearly curfew and we wouldn't want to get you in trouble." He smirked at me and I smiled back.

"What is it with these nicknames? What's wrong with just calling me Alex?" I asked him, feigning annoyance.

"Everyone calls you Alex, but only I call you Lexie." He replied and though I found his reasoning cute, I still despised the nickname.

"For good reason, how would you like it if I called you Siri?" He scowled in disgust.

"Siri? Really thats despicable." I laughed at his expression before replying.

"And Lexie isn't?" He kissed me again, probably to shut me up but I didn't care one bit until he pulled away that is.

"Come on Siri, its curfew." I smiled at him sweetly and he sent a glare my way. He walked me to the Ravenclaw common rooms then, before heading towards the Gryffindor ones.

That night, after my homework was completed and I was in bed I couldn't help but wonder how I, Pandora Malfoy had been the girl who changed Sirius Black from the notorious playboy into the perfect boyfriend.


	12. Chapter 12

That night, after my homework was complete and I was in bed I couldn't help but wonder how I, Pandora Malfoy had been the girl who changed Sirius Black from the notorious playboy into the perfect boyfriend.

He used to be a whore for lack of a better word. Everyone had heard the stories of his encounters in broom closets with various girls and now, he was the opposite of before. He was genuinely perfect, always holding doors for me and ignoring all the rumours that I was pregnant or using a love potion on him. He was everything I had ever wanted and yet all the things I didn't know I would want aswell and with him I was content.

The next morning I received a note from professor Dumbledore, asking me to go to his office after dinner where I assumed he wanted to speak to me about my attack. After being raised a Malfoy I was talented in the art of lying but I wasn't sure whether I should lie or not, in the pureblood community I had been raised in everything was different. When a member of one family wronged another's the authorities were never contacted, instead the wronged family was allowed to choose the punishment of the offender.

I had first been introduced to these politics when a member of the Avery family had used an unforgivable on me when I spilt my drink on his dressrobes at the young age of twelve. My father was furious and wanted nothing more than to have him sent to azkaban for his actions towards his favourite child but instead he had asked me what I believed was a suitable punishment for such a man. I knew I could have asked father to kill him and he would have done it but I could not bear the thought of another being hurt or worse dead because of me. Because of this, I had requested that he not be welcome at any event that I would attend ever again and father had reluctantly agreed.

He must have known by then, known that I was not like him or the rest of my family. Afterall many had perished for far less vicious actions and yet I had not wanted him to die, he who had used the cruciatas curse on me. And he still loved me, he still treated me with more love and affection than he treated anyone else. My father knew I was a blood traitor and he didn't care so why did he care now?

"Sirius?" I asked, turning to my right where he sat.

"Yeah Lex?" He replied, smiling at me.

"What do you say we miss history of magic? It's not like he will notice anyway?" I asked, returning his smile with one of my own.

"What did you have in mind?" He smirked, knowing him he was probably think all kinds of unsavoury things.

"Room of requirement?" I asked.

"Sounds like a date." He told me and I laughed at him.

"You clearly haven't been on all that many dates." I said.

"I haven't ever needed to." He shrugged and I frowned. He was right, if the rumours of him sleeping with girls in broom closets held any truth then perhaps he believed I would do the same. Well he was mistaken.

We walked hand in hand to the room of requirement, it took the form of a lounge adorned with red and gold. The moment we were alone Sirius moved to kiss me and I let him but as the kiss became deeper I pulled away.

"Sirius did your family know you were a bloodtraitor from the beginning?" I asked him, unsure of what he would say.

"I suppose they realised it when I sorted into Gryffindor, why?" He replied watching me carefully.

"My father always knew. I know he did, but it never bothered him. Why is he turning his back on me now?" I asked knowing he didn't have the answer.

"I don't know Lex, maybe he didn't want to admit it to himself. Maybe he was only alright with it so long as no one else knew." He suggested.

"My father was never perfect but he was never cruel, not to me at least and now cruel is all he is." I whispered, allowing a single tear to stream down my face.

"Hey, its okay. Don't you dare cry, don't give up a single tear for him or for anyone else." He said, pulling me into his arms and kissing the top of my head gently.

"I just don't understand it Sirius." I whispered against him.

"We can never understand why people do bad things Lex, and that's not a bad thing. It just shows that we are not capable of the same things." He told me, stroking my back gently.

"You are wrong because I did exactly the same thing to Lucius." I said miserably.

"No Lex, what you did was hard but you had to do it because otherwise you would have been dragged into that situation too. You aren't like them." He replied fiercely.

"I want to see my father, during Christmas. I need to know that he has turned his back on me completely before I can do the same to him." I decided, watching Sirius closely as he grew rigid.

"It's not safe Lexie." He said with finality.

"No where is safe anymore but I have to do this Sirius." I countered.

"You're right, no where is safe. Least of all Malfoy manor where two known deatheater's reside." He said firmly, using my own words against me.

"Sirius I have to do this. I can't keep wondering if they've really turned their backs on me, I can't keep thinking about them Sirius. It's driving me insane not knowing." I admitted and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I don't want to argue with you Lex." He sighed.

"Then lets discuss this another time." I said, pulling away and sitting down on one of the red sofa's. He sat on the same sofa, but a little distance away and for a moment we sat in silence until I laughed.

"This is what the Gryffindor common room looks like, doesn't it?" I asked, taking in the warm and welcoming room.

"Well seeing as technically you should not be allowed into the actual common room, this is the next best thing." He shrugged, moving closer to me.

"Since when have you ever cared about what you are or are not allowed to do?" I asked him, leaning my head on his chest.

"Never, but you do and I care about you." He replied, I turned to look at him.

"I care about you too." I told him.

We sat there for hours, not doing anything at all. It was nice, like we were safe in the room and the deatheaters and Voldemort and all of that drama didn't exist. We weren't Sirius Black and Pandora Malfoy, known blood traitors. In that moment we were just Sirius and Lexie as he enjoyed calling me and it the was perfect escape from the outside world.

"Sirius, should I dye my hair?" I asked after a moment, he laughed.

"Why would you do that? You are beautiful the way you are." He replied and in that moment I believed his words.

"It's not about beauty, it's a declaration of my separation from all things Malfoy." I explained to him.

"Don't dye your hair because you want to make a statement to them. Dye it because you want to or don't dye it at all." He told me, kissing the top of my head.

"I want to dye it. I've been treated like a life-size doll for so long and now I'm just me. Now I have a choice and I want to dye it something outrageous." I said truthfully.

"How about Weasely red?" He asked me with a grin.

"I was thinking more like a silvery-lilac." I replied though the idea of dying my hair ginger did sound appealing, it would give my mother a heart attack.

"I would pay to see Rosamund Malfoy's face when she finds out her precious daughter is now just a common bloodtraitor." He teased, I hit his chest lightly.

"Did you just call me a common bloodtraitor? I'll have you know that I am the lowest of the low. Bloodtraitor is not nearly severe enough a term for me." I replied with a grin.

"I would think so, after all you are dating me." He said before pulling me forward to kiss me, I could feel his smile through the kiss but after a moment he pulled away.

"Come on then, let's go to Hogsmeade right now and buy a hair-dye potion." He stood, holding his hand out to me.

"Right now, are you serious?" I asked him, immediately knowing what his 'witty' response would be.

"As a matter of a fact I am Sirius." He replied with a grin at his cheesetastic joke.

I only rolled my eyes before standing up and walking out of the room hand-in-hand with my incredibly annoying and cheesetastic boyfriend who despite everything was perfect to me at least.


	13. Chapter 13

It was dinner time at Hogwart's and as Sirius and I walked into the great hall hand in hand we attracted many stares. Usually I let my hair remain in its natural curls but my long hair was straight today and pale lilac in colour. Sirius grinned at James as we approached and we sat down with the marauders and Lily and Alice.

"I love your hair Alex, is it permanent?" Alice asked me excitedly.

"Thank you Alice, yeah it is permanent but I think it will take some getting used to." I replied, smiling at her.

"It is very radical, but it does suit you." Lily complimented.

"Thanks Lily." I said, gratefully.

I spoke mostly with Alice and Lily during lunch although I could feel Lucius' eyes on me throughout and when I finally met them I saw past his cold eyes into the fear that he tried to hide from me.

"I'm going to the bathroom guys." I announced before kissing Sirius' cheek and leaving, knowing that my brother would not be far behind.

"I didn't think you would come." I admitted as we stood around the corner from the hall.

"I...I shouldn't have, I should leave." He was undecided and panicked but I held his arm before he could move.

"Lucius please, tell me what's wrong and I will help you." I begged, watching as his eyes softened.

"No one can help me Dora, not even you." He whispered, a haunted look falling over his handsome face.

"I promise to try." I said, no longer able to let him hurt and be on his own.

"He wants us to attack Hogsmeade during the next trip." Lucius confessed.

"You can't do it Lucius, all those kids...they could be hurt." I gasped, shocked at his words.

"I don't have a choice any more Dora!" He shouted, putting his head in his hands.

"There is always a choice Lucius, you told me this and now I can try to help, try to stop it." I replied, taking one of his hands in mine.

"No, no you need to stay as far away from Hogsmeade as possible! I won't let you put yourself at risk!" He was standing now, holding me in place.

"I can't very well stand back and let it happen Lucius!" I argued but he wouldn't even hear me out.

"You can and you will Dora! Promise me, promise you won't go." He pleaded.

"I can't do that." I replied and he moved back, seemingly defeated.

"Dora please, I can't put you at risk. I promised never to let anyone hurt you, please just promise me." He asked again.

"I love you Lucius, more than anyone but I can't do nothing." I told him before placing a kiss on his forehead.

"I always knew you weren't like us, you are so good Dora, so pure. Don't you ever change." He murmured as I hugged him for the first time in a long time.

"I have to go back now, be careful and be safe." I replied before returning to the great hall.

I was quieter now, smiling but it did not reach my eyes because I could only think of what my brother would have to do in just a weeks time. I could have helped him when he asked me to, I could taken him with me when I ran away but I was too much of a coward. He had begged me, sobbing for help and somehow I refused though I loved him above all others and though he loved me. I contemplated telling Sirius but I knew what he would say, he had never liked Lucius. He would want to turn him in and though I cared a lot for Sirius my loyalty lied with Lucius. I had failed him once already, it could not happen again as he was in so much danger now.

"Want to go to the room of requirement after dinner Lex?" Sirius asked and James burst out laughing.

"Again?" He asked before laughing some more.

"Get your mind out of the gutter Potter." I said rolling my eyes at him.

"Make me Malfoy." He replied, grinning.

"I don't make trash, I burn it." I replied and he just stared for a moment, opening his mouth then closing it again before the rest of the group started laughing.

"Want some ice for that burn Prongs?" Sirius asked, laughing.

"On a lighter note, Dumbledore wants to see me after dinner." I said, and Sirius looked to be in thought.

"About the attack?" He asked suddenly with a grim expression.

"I think so." I replied.

"I'll come with you." He decided with a smile.

"Its alright Sirius, I will just meet you after." I told him.

"Are you sure?" He asked, taking my hand.

"Yeah, its fine." I assured him, squeezing his hand gently.

"But were still going to the room of requirement right?" He asked grinning.

"I think what you require is a cold shower, stop being such a pervert." I laughed.

"You know you like it really, you know I'm amazing." He said before kissing me.

"Hmmm, you're alright I suppose." I told him pulling away.

I waited for Dumbledore to leave the feast before going to meet him in his office, I had only been there a handful of times but I loved it. The place just screamed Dumbledore, everything about it was just odd and yet incredibly brilliant.

"Ah Miss Malfoy, how lovely to see you in a better state. Please do sit down." He said as I walked in.

"Thank you professor." I replied, taking a seat in front of him.

"Now I assume you know why you are here." He told me and I nodded.

"The truth is professor I don't remember much from the attack...its all sort of blurry." I lied as convincingly as I knew how.

"Very well then Pandora, if that's all?" He had a knowing glint in his eyes.

"Professor, I don't think you should let anyone under the age of sixteen into Hogsmeade next week!" I blurted out and he raised an eyebrow.

"Why ever not?" He asked.

"I can't tell you that, please just don't let them go this first weekend." I pleaded.

"I can't do that unless you tell me what you know Pandora." He replied.

"Lucius, he didn't want to but they made him. He's a deatheater and they're planning an attack next week." I admitted, looking at my hands.

"If you what say is true then the ministry must be informed." He told me and my head snapped back up.

"No professor, please if you tell them Lucius will go to Azkaban. Voldemort will know it was him, please don't tell them." I begged, close to tears once more.

"What will I gain from keeping this secret for you Miss Malfoy?" He asked and I knew immediately what he wanted.

"I will join any resistance there is, I will fight against Voldemort." I promised.

"You are still young Miss Malfoy, when you have finished your education here I will ask this of you again and if you are still in my debt then you may join." He said.

"Alright." I said, relieved that Lucius would be safe for now.

"You may start your defence classes next week, the great hall will be free from four until six for you." He called as I stood.

"Thank you professor." I replied.

"No Pandora, thank _you_." He said just as I was leaving.

For a moment I froze, I had just allied myself with the resistance. This made me and Lucius on opposite sides of a war, how had everything escalated to this so quickly? Just a few months ago all was well, I had my family and I was happy but now everything was falling apart. This wasn't just one man any more it was a real war and in war people died on both sides. I could never live with myself if Lucius died, or my father or Sirius and yet it was all highly probably for all of them would surely be involved.

Sirius was waiting for me outside Dumbledore's office.

"Did you tell him it was Bellatrix?" He asked, pulling me into his arms.

"No, I...I wanted to but I just couldn't." I told him and he stiffened slightly.

"Alex, she could have killed you in fact she nearly did. You have to tell Dumbledore it was her." He said, his voice colder than usual.

"Sirius I can't do that. Bella and I used to be friends, I can't send her to Azkaban." I explained but he was shaking his head at me and he pulled away.

"If you don't tell someone she could do it again and it would be your fault." He said and though knew he was right I couldn't do what he wanted.

"I won't tell him Sirius. Just forget it ever happened." I told him, my tone final.

"How can I forget? I found you there and I thought you were dead! For days you were unconscious and even when you woke up you were terrified!" He shouted, angrily.

"I'm fine Sirius and I won't tell anyone anything so please just drop it." I pleaded and he sighed, looking down.

"Fine, whatever. I'm going to bed." He said before leaving me there without even a second glance.

I held my head in my hands, wondering why everything seemed to be going so wrong today. Lucius was soon to be really, actually a deatheater after he joined the attack on Hogsmeade, Bellatrix had gotten away with what she had done to me and Sirius was angry with me. I fully understood why he felt how he felt but I still could not bring myself to be the reason Bella went to Azkaban. It seemed like all the odds were for Sirius and I, we were so alike and yet everything between us seemed to be going awry. No matter what we seemed to be on opposite sides of the argument and I knew from my parents that it was never a good sign. Still I would not give up because Sirius accepted me for me, he knew me better than most people and he understood most of what I was going through because he had walked the same roads as me.


	14. Chapter 14

I am **so** sorry this has taken so long but I wasn't sure how I wanted this all to happen so I edited over and over until I got here. It isn't exactly as I wanted it but the next one will be better. Thank you for reading :)

I spent the entire night planning some way of telling the ministry without incriminating my brother but I could not. If the ministry thought that there were any deatheaters in Hogwarts they would check all the students and then Lucius would be in Azkaban. I could not do that to him especially since he had not yet done anything wrong. It seemed to me that I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

There was no choice left, no easy way out for me. I would have to reveal my true nature and I had to go to Hogsmeade to try to stop the attack somehow. The thought of it scared me, the elementals had been hunted and killed by dark wizards for centuries and I would be no different. They would seek to corrupt me, control me and if they could not exploit me somehow they would kill me for I would be a threat. It was so inhumane and yet it was a common practice for dark wizards like Voldemort and Grindelwald who sought power. It seemed I was out of options, backed into some dark corner I had spent sixteen years avoiding and now I had to face it all.

I wondered if Sirius was going to be in Hogsmeade tomorrow, we hadn't really talked since our argument but the thought of him there was too much for me to handle. I would never forgive myself if something happened to him when I could have stopped it all by telling the ministry. He would be alright, he had to be because to think of any other outcome was just too difficult for me.

It was the day of the Hogsmeade trip and I was terrified, my hands were shaking as I pulled on my clothes for the day. I wasn't ready to let everyone know that I was a pure elemental the only pure elemental but I did not have a choice. It was a grim day, exactly the kind of day you would expect something as horrible as this to happen and as I walked the streets of Hogsmeade village I wished I was at Hogwarts.

I stayed hidden in one of the alley's on the high street, glad for the tall house thats shadow covered me in darkness. It felt like hours I was there but in reality it was probably only minutes when I saw them, a group all dressed in black with deatheater masks hiding their faces. Spells were being shot out and fires were being lit and I knew it was time for me to act but I was frozen, scared.

It took a girls scream for me to finally act and I ran out of the alley with my wand gripped tightly in my hand. Out of the alley I could see what my fear had caused, many houses and shops were on fire, with people running around in terror.

There were many running but few people attempting to stop the deatheaters but that would have to wait for the fire was my first concern. The ground was still wet with puddles from the previous days rain and so I put my wand into my boot and began to bend the water to my will. I stopped the fires quickly before I moved on, to the more popular end of the street where they had gone to spread more destruction.

There were children and students and even adults hiding in the alley ways and blocking my way. I could not afford to wait so I jumped and manipulated the air around me to hold me up. I think if people were not already in shock they would have been now as I surged through the air above them quickly.

The deatheaters could not see me but I could see them and with a wave of my wrist rain began to pour heavily. There were injured people everywhere, cuts and bruises marring their faces but the fear kept them going so they could run. There were more deatheaters than I could ever have expected and I knew that I could not stop them alone. Lightning seemed like the best, most pragmatic solution and so I prepared myself.

I was scared but what choice did I have? Lightning was dangerous and volatile and I was unsure whether I could control it but I had to try if it would stop the suffering. I raised one shaky hand into the sky and as lightning surged towards me I directed it to where four deatheaters stood. They fell to the ground, injured and perhaps even dead but I could not afford to care for many more were still standing.

I lowered myself to the ground, unable to lose energy staying up. The rain was still pouring in heavy droplets as I walked to where three of the deatheaters were torturing a man using the cruciatas curse. I clapped my hands together and the air around them pushed all three of their heads together simultaneously to make them lose conciousness. I kept walking and I saw another deatheater throwing curses at people, I clenched my fist and ice formed so when I drove my fist into his head he fell down and his eyes were closed. He too was unconscious. I was beginning to attract attention from the deatheaters and as two faced me I flicked my wrist to send them into a nearby building with great force.

More and more were coming and soon I had the wind whirling around me, pushing deatheaters away and if that failed then I would use other means such as ice shaped like stakes. I used the same wind to launch the ice into their wand arms and their legs to immobilize them but I was quickly becoming tired.

My limbs were becoming heavy and I struggled to stay alert but I forced myself to stay and to keep at it. But it seemed the more I tried to help the harder it was to stay stood up and only when I saw Sirius' face did I collapse as the deatheaters had before me.

When I awoke it was dark and I was once again in the hospital wing with Sirius at my bedside. The moonlight from the windows shone on his angular face and highlighted his aristocratic features. For a moment I toyed with the idea of waking him but the bags under his eyes were dark and I decided against it and joined him in slumber.

The next morning Sirius was still sitting with me.

"I'm so sorry Lexie." He said as I turned to face him him.

"What are you sorry for?" I replied.

"I shouldn't have been angry with you when you lied to Dumbledore." He said and I looked down.

"You were right and I was wrong, I should be the one apologising to you." I said, not looking at him as I fiddled with the blanket covering me.

"It doesn't matter, I shouldn't have tried to push you into doing something you didn't want to." He placed a kiss on my cheek.

"Probably not but I should have listened to you." I said, holding him from the collar of his shirt to keep him close. He sat down on the bed beside me, holding my hand in his and I let go of his shirt.

"Its fine Lexie, it was your choice and I shouldn't have tried to make it for you." He replied .

"Did anyone...?" The question though not asked was clear and he smiled reassuringly.

"No, there were a lot of injuries but no one died." He told me.

"Anyone we know?" I asked and his smile fell a little.

"Alice broke her arm and James got a few burns." He replied.

"Everyone knows now don't they?" I asked after a moment and his smile dimmed a little.

"Yes. Why did you do it Lexie? The aurors would have come and you are a brilliant witch, now everyone knows. You know what happened to the elementals, everyone does, they were slaughtered for their strength and lack of control." He wouldn't look at me as he spoke and I understood why.

"There were so many people Sirius and the deatheaters could have killed them, how could I not?" I whispered and he smiled at me.

"I know I complain about your decisions but I don't ever want you to change Lex. You're like a living reminder of hope, you represent everything that I thought didn't exist." He said before placing his lips on top of mine. I automatically wrapped my hands around his neck and moved even closer so we were chest to chest but after a moment he pulled away grinning.

"I will never get tired of doing that." I said and he laughed a little.

"I love you Lexie." He said, a bright grin on his face.

"And I love you Sirius Black." I replied before kissing him again.

Yes, we had only been together for a few months and we were in the midst of a looming war but this was real. How I felt about Sirius was the only thing that still felt real and normal to me. Our constant arguing though sometimes upsetting actually put me at ease because it was so typical when nothing else was. It seemed like he was all that kept me sane and the normalcy of our relationship was what held it together. The world we knew was changing and though we did not know what lay ahead I knew with certainty that Sirius loved me as I loved him. Perhaps nothing was right in our relationship and nothing made sense any more but it didn't matter because we had each other.


	15. Chapter 15

In St Mungo's hospital, on the fourth floor where patients who had suffered spell damage resided Pandora Malfoy opened her eyes for the first time in fifteen years.

When Pandora was brought to St Mungo's she had suffered much damage at the hands of her brother though law enforcers did not know this. Lucius was in the hospital for the birth of his child but whilst his little boy died that night, his sister had given birth that same night. He crept into the room, his only intention was to swap the two babies but Pandora awoke.

_"Lucius, what are you doing here?" She asked, seeing her brother near her childs crib with his own child in his arms._

_"What is it?" He asked her._

_"A boy, we are going to name him Draco. Draco Sirius Black." Pandora smiled brightly but Lucius did not smile back._

_Draco, Narcissa had liked that name and they had not yet decided on a name for their own son. He would take Draco and raise him as his own child, as Draco Lucius Malfoy and the boy would be all the better for it._

_"Go back to sleep Pandora." Lucius said, smiling at her but the smile scared Pandora._

_"Not until you leave Lucius." She had said and Lucius knew then that she would not let him leave with her child. It became clear to him that he would have to curse her to get his son, to pass down the Malfoy name._

_"Silencio." He murmured and Pandora began to panic, her wand was on the other side of the room._

_"Lucius what are you doing?" She asked desperately._

_"I'm sorry sister. Expulso." He only intended to render her unconcious but she had hit her head with enough force to send her into a comatose state._

_Of course Lucius did not know this as he swapped the children and was on his way._

The memories of her brothers attack flooded back and Alex began screaming. Healers flooded into the room and tried to calm her but it could not be done. Hours later, once Alex had recovered from the calming draught did she ask to see a healer.

"Mrs Black, you asked to see me?" The healer said, forcing a smile onto her face.

"Where is my son?" She asked and the healers face fell.

"I'm sorry Mrs Black, your son died that night." Alex quickly realised why Lucius had cursed her.

"My son was perfectly healthy. My...my brother came in holding a bundle and then he cursed me. He...he took my son." She whispered.

"What you're suggesting could ruin this hospitals reputation entirely!" The healer shouted.

"My son was stolen from me in this hospital and you are concerned about its reputation?" Alex yelled with a furious voice.

"Mrs Black I must ask you to calm down." The healer said, hoping no one could hear what she had said.

"Where is my husband? Where's Sirius?" She asked, trying to hold back her tears.

"I'm sorry Mrs Black, your husband murdered thirteen people fourteen years ago. He escaped Azkaban two years ago and is an undesirable." The healer said solemnly.

"Could you contact someone for me then?" She asked, struggling to understand what she was being told.

"Of course." She replied.

"My friend, Lily Potter." Alex said and the healer looked very uncomfortable.

"Mrs Black, the Potters were killed by you-know-who fourteen years ago." The healer informed. Alex could feel the tears falling freely down her cheeks and she asked for one last person.

"What about Remus Lupin? Could you contact him for me?" She asked.

"We will get to that right away." The healer smiled and left the room.

It took Remus Lupin one hour to get to the hospital and for that one hour Alex just stared into space, crying. How had she lost everything so quickly? Her son had been stolen, her husband had become a monster and her friends were dead.

Remus walked into the room hesitantly, Alex sat there still crying. She was wearing loose jeans and a black jumper, sitting on the hospital cot. She looked almost as though she had not aged, her skin retaining its youth and her beauty still evident. Even as she cried she was lovely, her hair fell in the same silver-violet ringlets he remembered and her green eyes still sparkled although it was with tears.

A healer had packed her things for her, all the things she had from fifteen years ago. Mostly it was what people had brought into the room, there were mainly pictures. Pictures of her and Sirius' wedding, as Lily's maid of honour, ones of the marauders and her at Hogwarts. Everything was in an extended little handbag that she had brought with her all those years ago.

"Alex?" Remus said and her eyes shot up to meet his.

"Remus...is that you?" She asked and he nodded.

She launched herself at him, hugging him tightly. He held her as she cried a little more.

"So much has happened Remus." She whispered, pulling back to look at him.

"I know Alex, I will explain everything once we get home." He soothed and she nodded, picking up her things.

"I need you to remember an address for me Alex. 13 Grimmauld place." He said and she nodded, not quite understanding but trusting Remus enough to wing it.

They apparated to a normal looking street and after walking for a few minutes Remus stopped.

"Remember that address?" He asked.

"13 Grimmauld place." She replied and watched in surprise as the house appeared from no where.

"Remus isn't this Sirius' family house?" She asked confusedly.

"Yes, its Order headquarters now." He replied, leading her in.

Once inside she was met with a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar. At first she did not know if it was him but one look at those shiny grey eyes and she recognised Sirius. She began to walk towards him and he did the same.

"Sirius." She breathed, placing her hand on his cheek.

He didn't reply, only pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately. She let herself get lost in him as she used to when they were teenagers, her hands almost instinctively going into her hair as his gripped her from the waist.

"I think we should explain everything to you." He murmured as he pulled away from her lips.

"I think so too." She replied, following him into a lounge.

It did not look too different to the hazy memory of what she had from his house. She noticed however that the portraits were all gone and the collection of swords that adorned one whole wall was gone. Sirius led her to a sofa where they sat with Remus facing them in an armchair.

"Tell me everything." She said and they began to.

She listened attentively to all that they told her, tears streaming down her face as she heard that Alice too had died. Everything ad fallen apart since she had gone into her comatose state and once they had explained everything Alex was silent for a moment.

"Lucius took him, he took our son and he put me in a coma." She said and watched the looks of shock in their faces.

"We'll get him back." Sirius promised.

"I need to send a letter to the department of magical law enforcement to ask for a hearing." Alex decided after a moment.

"We will do everything until we have him back." He soothed and she took his hand in her own.

They were having a moment when a girl with bright purple hair came into the room. She tripped over the carpet once before coming over to speak with them.

"Harry used the patronous charm in front of a muggle. We're going to get him now." The woman told them.

"Tonks, this is Pandora Alexandra Rose Malfoy. Sirius' wife." Remus introduced her and Alex stood up.

"Its nice to meet you...?" She said with a smile.

"Nymphadora Tonks, I just go by Tonks though. Its nice to meet you too Pandora." Tonks replied, smiling back. Alex just cringed at the use of her first name.

"I actually go by Alex." She amended and Tonks laughed.

"Lucky for you, my middle name is almost as bad as my first name." She remarked.

"Well you can say what you want about muggles but at least they don't give their children such horrible names." Alex replied and Tonks laughed.

"Its good to have you around, maybe you can help with Sirius and his ego." Tonks grinned.

"I'm afraid his ego has always been a problem and despite my best efforts its a permanant fixture." She replied.

"I like you already, I'd love to stay and make more fun of my dearest cousin but I have to go. See you later?" Tonks said.

"I'll just be here with Sirius and his ego." Alex said as Tonks left, earning another laugh.

After Tonks left Alex sat down nervously, she would be meeting her best friends son very soon and she didn't know if she could look at him. Sirius had told her that he had Lily's eyes and that made Alex want to cry all over again, everything was wrong and she missed her best friend.

"Sirius!" A boy's voice exclaimed outside the room and Alex stood.

Taking a deep breath she opened the door to see a boy who looked like a photocopy of James speaking to Sirius.

"Harry, I'd like to introduce you to your mothers best friend and my wife, this is Alex." Sirius said, meeting her eyes.

Alex's misty green eyes met Harry's mossy ones. They were almost solid in colour, beautiful just like Lily's. For a moment Alex just stared at him...he was so much like James but those eyes, he was Lily's boy through and through.

"Its nice to meet you." Harry said somewhat nervously.

"Lily would be so proud of you." Alex said, thinking of all the things Remus and Sirius had told her.

"Thank you." Harry replied with a little surprise.

"I'm sorry this is going to sound very forward but Sirius was your godfather whilst I was your godmother. I know you have your aunt and uncle but if you would rather be with me and Sirius then I think Lily and James would have wanted us to take care of you." She burst out, watching a spectrum of emotion on Harry's face. He was shocked, confused but most of all he seemed happy.

"I...I would like that." He managed after a moment.

"Then its settled." She smiled.

"I don't know what to say." He admitted, blushing a little.

"You don't need to say anything. You will come live with Sirius and I and when we get our son back then you will even have a sibling." She replied.

"You have a son?" He asked, glancing at Sirius.

"He was stolen from us." She said, her tone pained.

"Do you know who took him?" Harry asked.

"Lucius Malfoy took my son and raised him as his own." She said with a little ice in her voice when she mentioned her brother.

"Draco Malfoy is your son?" He asked and Alex shook her head.

"Draco Sirius Black is my son." She amended.


	16. Chapter 16

The next day Alex gave Tonks a letter to take to the ministry. In it she had requested a hearing with the Wizengamot to speak of the circumstances of her coma. She knew Lucius would think of some lie, a cover up to get away with it but she could not allow him to further poison her sons mind. Harry had spoken to her of Draco and she when he had gone to bed she had wept in her bed for a long time. She would have done everything and anything for Draco but she did not save him from this, she had failed as his mother. Sirius disagreed.

"It isn't your fault Lex, you had just given birth and you never expected him to steal our son away." He reassured but she shook her head.

"I should have known, I should have done something. I am his mother Sirius, it is my job to take care of him always and I failed." She disagreed.

"How could you have known?" He asked, kissing her head gently.

"Lucius wasn't himself that night and he wasn't an innocent boy anymore. He was a full grown adult and a deatheater, I should never have trusted him in the same room as my baby." She told him.

"I know you won't change your mind Lex but it doesn't matter because whether or not it was your fault it happened. All that matters now is getting him back to us." Sirius had replied.

"You're right. I will get him back and we can be a family again." She whispered.

Since her awakening things between her and Sirius were strained. Alex was struggling with all that had happened and she was taking it out on Sirius, not that he minded all that much. Still there was so much lost between them, Alex had been asleep for fifteen years and though she and Sirius loved each other time had affected their relationship.

They had both changed so much. Sirius had gone from being a playful man still stuck in his teenage years in terms of attitude but now he was so old in mind and attitude. Alex had always been strong and full of life but now she was a shell of her old self, wallowing in her misery a lot of the time.

When Tonks came home from the ministry that day she brought with her a date for Alex's hearing. It was on the same day it seemed as Harry's and so she had volunteered to take him and stay with him.

It would be hard for Alex to see her brother after all this time, after all that he had done to her. She wondered if he regretted what he did to her fifteen years ago, probably not. Lucius could justify anything, he always could, even becoming a deatheater. His reasoning had been that he was scared and that he didn't have a choice, but what was his justification now?

He would say that Sirius was a murderer and I was comatose, that he did it for the wellbeing of Draco. From what she had heard from the other Order members Lucius had scared many of the wizengamot members into siding with him always.

Days later Alex was walking to Harry's hearing with the nervous boy beside her. She stopped just outside.

"They will try to use your own words against you in there Harry. Have care what you say, you are innocent and they know it so don't be afraid." She told him, giving him a quick hug.

"What if I am expelled from Hogwarts?" He asked in fear.

"That will not happen, Dumbledore won't let it. Have a little faith Harry." She reassured him.

"But what if it does?" He questioned.

"If it does happen then I will contest the decision and fight until you are allowed back at Hogwarts. They may not know it yet but you are the future of the wizarding world Harry and I will fight till the death for you. Do not ever doubt yourself, you did the right thing and if they can't see that then they are fools and you will prove them wrong." She said, holding his hand in her own.

"Thank you." He replied.

"Don't thank me Harry, you are family." She told him before letting go of his hand and walking into the room.

"Miss Malfoy you have no business here, this is a private hearing." Fudge barked out.

"Its actually _Mrs_ Black minister and the rules state that anyone related to the accused by blood or by law is permitted access to the hearing." She replied.

"And you are neither." He hissed.

"Harry Potter is my godson, therefore we are related by law." Alex challenged.

"Fine, take a seat." He glared at her.

The hearing went well, with Dumbledore coming in with a witness to support Harry's claim of self defence. Alex could not concentrate though, she was terrified of seeing Lucius again and facing him. Harry had told her he would stay with her as she had stayed with him and she was grateful, his presence would help her.

When the time came Alex took a seat before the wizengamot with Harry in the witness stands. She was nervous entirely, her hands shaking but when Lucius came in and sat in the stands she almost cried there and then.

"Mrs Black you requested a hearing to speak of the circumstances of your previously comatose state?" Fudge asked her.

"Yes minister." She replied.

"You can begin Mrs Black." He told her and she nodded.

"That night after giving birth to my son I was resting when Lucius Malfoy came to my room. He held in his hands a white bundle I assumed was his own child. I asked him why he was there but he only asked of the gender of my child. When I told him my child was a boy he told me to go to sleep but I refused. I said I would wait until he left and he used a silencing spell on the room. I asked what he was doing and he apologised before he cursed me. I hit my head and went into a comatose state. Mr Malfoy took my son and left me with his own dead child." She said, loud and clear, not looking at Lucius.

"Minister my sister is greiving, surely you cannot believe what she is-" Lucius began but Alex cut him off.

"Don't you dare call me your sister! You took my son you filthy deatheater!" Alex shouted.

"You are delusional Pandora!" He hissed.

"If you honestly thought I wouldn't take my son back then you are the delusional one!" She replied.

"SILENCE!" Fudge exclaimed.

"Now, where is your proof for these allegations Mrs Black?" He asked her.

"My proof is my sons blood. If Mr Malfoy is telling the truth surely he would not mind submitting to a blood test." Alex replied.

"I will most certainly not! My son does not need to know of these ridiculous allegations!" Lucius protested.

"Those in favour of a blood test?" Fudge asked and most of the wizengamot raised their arms.

"Those in opposition?" He said and a few people raised their arms.

"The boy will be taken into ministry care and Mr Malfoy will take paid leave until we know the truth. A blood test will be taken promptly and both of you will come back here in a weeks time to determine who will get the boy." He said.

"Thank you minister." Alex said before standing and leaving with Harry beside her.

Lucius stared after his sister, she was so cold towards him and yet he had expected it. He had hurt her many times in the past but this was different, she had lost fifteen years of her life because of him. Her son did not even know she existed and it was because of him and yet Lucius still would not admit his actions were wrong.

Draco had never wanted for any physical item, he was given all that money could buy and as far as Lucius was concerned that made Draco happy. He was wrong though, Draco had missed out on so much with him that he would have gotten with Alex. She would have loved him unconditionally unlike Lucius who was never quite satisfied with Draco. She would have cherished him and conveyed her love every single day so that he was never in doubt but Lucius was cold to Draco.

The truth was Draco would have been so much happier had he grown up with his real parents. Narcissa had loved him but that was only an echo of the love Alex bore him and yet she had not raised him. Lucius had never told him no as Sirius probably would have but Sirius would not have loved him conditionally, he would have accepted Draco for who he was. All hope was not lost though for Draco would soon find the truth and he would have a real family for the first time.

Sorry this chapter was so short but lately I've been trying to get them up quicker. I hate to ask you guys for reviews but I'd really like some feedback about what you think of the direction the story is going but if you don't want to thats fine :)


	17. Chapter 17

Draco sat in his room in the Leaky Cauldron, it was not what he was used to at all, the room was small and rather plain. At home, his room was gloriously decorated with silver on emerald green damask wallpaper and elegant black furniture. His carpet was of a soft grey colouring and his bedding and curtains were again emerald green at home. Here the floors were made of pale wood, the furniture old and used, unimpressive.

He ran his hands through his messy blonde hair again, from both boredom and annoyance. The allegations were false, they had to be, he would have known if his parents were not his parents. In Draco's mind there was little to no doubt that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were his parents and that he too was a Malfoy.

He was thoroughly convinced that this woman, his fathers sister was psychotic.

Oblivious to how Draco felt Alex was in her old home, the one she had shared with Sirius, preparing for when Draco came home. She had planned on using the nursery she had readied for him whilst she was pregnant but could not bring herself to. Instead she converted one of the rooms that had been empty since she and Sirius had moved into the house. The room was very big and she had chosen a pale mint colour for the walls, a soft cream for the carpet, curtains and bedding and mahogany furniture. In the middle of the huge room was a king sized four poster bed with a table at each bedside. On the left wall there was a big desk and two bookshelves which she had more or less filled, on the right wall there were two doors which led to a bathroom and a closet which she had stocked with basics.

The room was airy and light, nothing like what she could remember of Malfoy manor and she hoped he would like it. Her and Sirius' room was almost untouched since she spent most of her time at his home. Harry and she had become much closer and she would be fighting to keep him with her once she had Draco back. Alex had really enjoyed preparing Draco's room and so she had quickly moved onto Harry's which was one door down from Draco's and just as large.

Harry had never really had his own room, his room at the Dursley's was plain and hardly looked lived in but Alex was determined he would feel at home with her. She had the walls painted a warm red with pale gold carpets, bedding and curtains. On the walls she had put a few pictures of him and his friends that had been lying around Grimmauld Place. His bed, also a king sized four poster bed, and all his other furniture were made of beech. His bed was placed to the left of the room, a little table beside it whilst the back wall held a huge window with a window seat before it. On the right there were two doors just as there had been in Draco's room, leading to the bathroom and closet she had made from the small room that used to be there. The front wall that held the door to the room held only a picture of his parents and a beech desk.

Preparing the rooms had given Alex some excuse to be away from Sirius, she felt far too guilty for taking her anger out on him to be around him too much. He had of course forgiven her but even so, everything between them was wrong. Perhaps they were no longer compatible for whilst he had changed quite drastically she had remained more or less the same. They loved each other, their feelings for one another were never in question, but more and more it seemed the relationship was no longer working.

Still Alex was determined to fix what was broken, she had always wanted a family and now with Draco and Harry she would have one. Sirius being accused for murder was just one more thing that stood in the way of their relationship. How could they even begin to work through the changes that had occurred whilst she was unconscious whilst he was a wanted criminal charged with murder?

When one week had passed Alex again sat before the Wizengamot, in the witness stands were Harry, Tonks and a healer whilst Narcissa sat as far from them as possible. Lucius sat to Alex's right and they were waiting for Draco to come in and she was nervous, repeatedly straightening the grey suit dress she wore.

Draco looked just as she had expected, a perfect mix between her and Sirius. His hair was Malfoy blonde, it seemed the colour had skipped a generation for she was not born with the colourless tone. His eyes, big and light were grey as Sirius' whilst his features were sharp and aristocratic like both the Malfoy's and the Black's. He gazed upon her for a moment, his eyes widening a little before he took his allocated seat in the witness stands. Alex had felt her heart burn as he was hugged tightly by Narcissa but she did not convey her pain, instead turning to the minister.

"A week ago a blood test was carried out, comparing the blood of Draco with both Mr Malfoy's and Mrs Black's. Today the true parent of the boy will receive all parental rights and if necessary a birth certificate for him. Before the results come in would either of you like to bring something to the Wizengamot?" The minister asked them both.

"No minister, thank you." Alex replied.

"No, there is nothing." Lucius said at the same time.

"Very well then, we shall proceed with Madame Gilbert of St Mungo's presenting the findings of the blood test." He said before sitting down.

"Thank you minister, the blood tests were conclusive in revealing the truth of the matter. It is true that Lucius Malfoy and Draco share blood but he is not Draco's father, Pandora Black is his birth mother and Draco is not a Malfoy but rather a Black." The healer said.

"Then the hospital will provide Mrs Black with her sons birth certificate and he will return home with his birth mother on this day. Lucius Malfoy is to be investigated for the abduction of Draco Sirius Black, cursing Mrs Black and fraud." The minister decreed.

Draco was frozen, Narcissa beside him was crying and apologising and declaring her love for him but he could only stare the woman who was his mother. She met his gaze and he stood abruptly, ignoring Narcissa who was still apologising, taking his trunk with him. Draco kept walking until he was stood before his mother.

She was beautiful but she looked far too young to be his mother and yet she was. The difference in height, even while Alex wore huge heels, was quite big but when she hugged him he felt warm and safe. After a moments hesitation he wrapped his arms around her tightly, breathing in the scent of her sweet perfume. This was not like when he had hugged Narcissa, that was always stiff, a little detached and brief but when he hugged his mother, his true mother it was different. Alex's hands were gentle but still tight around him and the hug lasted for a long time or so it felt.

"Draco." She whispered in relief as her little boy was in her arms for the second time in his life.

When they pulled away it was Harry and Tonks had joined them, standing a little awkwardly away from them. Alex turned to them after a moment more of looking at her son.

"I think we should all floo home now, it has been a long morning. I will see you tomorrow for the shopping Harry and we can talk about you coming to live with me?" Alex asked, smiling at her godson.

"Okay." He replied with a grin.

"Are you sure you will be okay taking him alone Tonks?" She asked her worriedly but Tonks waved her off.

"We'll be fine Alex, you go home with your son." She told her friend.

"Alright, thank you both for coming." Alex said, hugging Tonks then Harry.

"Bye Alex." Harry replied.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Tonks said.

"Stay safe." She told them as they went their separate ways. She turned back to Draco with a bright smile.

"Give me your trunk." She said and he shook his head.

"Its alright, its not too heavy." He replied.

"I need to shrink it so we can apparate." She explained and he brought it closer to her.

"Reducio." She said, aiming at the trunk which she shrunk until it would fit into his pocket.

Their journey was somewhat awkward, neither of them knowing quite what to say to the other. Draco had never been in a house like his new one, it was airy and light, so different to Malfoy manor but he liked it.

"I decorated a room for you but if you don't like we can change it." She told him as they walked upstairs.

"Thank you, you didn't have to." He replied.

"I know it doesn't feel like it to you but I am your mother Draco and I would die a thousand painful deaths before letting any harm come to you. I know I haven't been there for you and I wish I could but I can't change that. What I can do is promise that you will never be alone or unloved for as long as I live. I will be here for you Draco and I am so, so sorry I couldn't stop them from taking you away from me." She said to him, fighting back the tears.

"I...it does feel like you are my mother and it isn't your fault that he took me." Draco replied.

"Thank you Draco, I know this must all be a lot so why don't you try to get settled whilst I make some lunch?" Alex said smiling brightly at him and he returned.

"Alright, thank you." He said and he opened the door to the room, entering it.


	18. Chapter 18

The room was not how Draco would have expected it, he expected a simple and rather empty little room. This room was tasteful and like the rest of the house bright, it was almost as big as his old room in Malfoy manor. He moved to the bookcase, pulling out what he assumed was a muggle book.

Not really paying attention to the books title he began to read, the book was divided into many chapters. Each chapter held a short story that was perhaps a little childish but still very interesting to one who had never read the typical fairy tales. He sat there for an hour or so, reading before placing his wand onto the book to hold his page whilst he went downstairs.

He fully intended to go downstairs but something caught his eye, a door at the end of the corridor with Draco's room adorned on the wood. He began to wonder towards it, opening the door to reveal a nursery.

It was nothing like the nursery he had seen in pictures of his childhood. The walls painted like the sky in summer, gradually becoming a dark shade of navy which covered the ceiling. He could see silver stars up on the ceiling and from his astronomy lessons he recognised the constellation, it was Draco.

Instead of a crib the room held a white treasured Moses basket with drapes held up by a stand so that it would be on the floor. The furniture was all white and there were toys everywhere, from the window sill to the rocking chair to the top of the wardrobe. On the table in front of the rocking chair sat a picture of his mother, a man he presumed was his father and another couple.

He tried to imagine his life here, what it would have been like to be Draco Sirius Black as opposed to Draco Lucius Malfoy. He was sure he would never have uttered the words mudblood or blood traitor had he grown up here. He would never have wanted for anything, that was for sure, this room was proof that his mother loved him even when she did not know him. He would have been in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor probably, growing up with his parents beside him every step of the way. Here he would have happy, of that he was sure.

"I designed this room too." Alex said behind him and her turned to face her.

"You did?" He asked, a little shocked by the detail of the room.

"All by myself, I went through nine interior designers before Sirius recommended I just design it myself and pay a contractor to bring it to life. I was quite ill whilst I was pregnant with you so I spent most of my time in bed, designing the perfect room for you. Sirius had to force my sketch book away from me quite a few times." She laughed and Draco smiled.

"Its amazing." He complimented and her smile dropped a little.

"It would have been, if things could have worked out like we had planned. You would have grown up loved and cherished with siblings and parents who loved you and each other. Sirius and I never got to have that when we were children and so we promised to make sure you did. I suppose we failed on that part too." She said sadly.

"I'm sorry." He replied.

"Don't be, it was childish of us to expect such a life in the midst of war." She said, forcing a smile on her face once more.

"You-know-who really is back, the war is not over." Draco told her and Alex's eyes snapped up to meet his.

"Do not call him that, it is not his name that you should be scared of." She replied.

"I am scared, of him and everything that he will bring." Draco admitted.

"You should be afraid, with fear comes caution and you should always be cautious especially now." She said.

"You said at the ministry Potter would be coming to live here." He stated.

"Yes, I would like Harry to come stay with us." She replied.

"Why?" He asked her.

"Do you see that picture, on the table?" He nodded, glancing at it again.

"To the left are Sirius and I, beside us are James and Lily Potter. James was your fathers best friend and Lily was mine, they named us Harry's godparents. Harry told me that the two of you do not get along but Lily was like my sister and Harry is her son. They were to be your godparents and if it were Sirius and I who had died they would have taken you in like family. Had everything gone as planned the two of you would have been friends I think." She explained.

"I think if everything had worked out as you planned we would have been happy." Draco told her after a moments thought.

"Things may not have turned out as we planned but that does not mean happiness is beyond our reach Draco. We could still yet be happy as we would have been had I had my way fifteen years ago." She smiled gently and Draco could see she fully believed they could be happy.

"I hope so." He replied, returning the smile.

"As do I but first there are some things you and I must discuss, whenever you're ready come downstairs and I will tell you everything." She said before leaving the room.

Alex didn't have to wait long for Draco, he was downstairs within the hour and they were sat in the living room together.

"I'm ready to know." He told her, sitting in front of her.

"Alright, I guess I should start with my family. I don't know if you ever met your grandparents but if you have then you'll know why Lucius is how he is. I wasn't always separate from the rest of my family, my father loved me and Lucius and I were so close. My mother was a different story, she adored Lucius but she always knew I was not like them, she knew I would be a blood traitor." Alex explained whilst Draco listened attentively.

"When I was fifteen everything changed. A lot happened the summer before my fifth year, Lucius became a deatheater and I...I became engaged to Rabastan LeStrange. He was 23 when my parents told me I was to marry him. I contacted professor Dumbledore and he helped me, I became legally emancipated later that year. It was that year that Bellatrix Black cursed me to the point of near death and thats how your father and I came to be." She went on.

"You were engaged?" He asked in surprise.

"It wasn't my choice, I suppose it was to protect me because he was loyal to Voldemort and I would be safe as his wife. After what happened with Bellatrix Sirius and I became close and I became friends with Lily, Alice, James, Remus and Peter. We joined the resistance straight after Hogwarts and when we were nineteen Sirius and I were engaged and so were James and Lily. About a month after the weddings I was pregnant and two months later so was Lily, James and Sirius were so excited. They always used to joke about whose child would be the better quidditch player. We were all so happy then." She explained.

"And then?" He asked eagerly.

"And then I was in labour, it took me nineteen hours to give birth to you but eventually I had my little boy in my arms. I forced Sirius to go home and get some rest and he did, it was late when everyone had left and Lucius came to see me. He held a bundle in his hands, his child who died just moments after birth. He cursed me and took you away and I went into a comatose state." She smiled when she spoke of his birth and it warmed Draco's heart to see just how much she loved him.

"The rest is obvious and you know the story. The only thing you don't know is that Sirius killed no one, he was the Potters' secret keeper until the last minute because he didn't trust himself. He was convinced that Peter was a better choice because no one would expect it but Peter was a deatheater. When Sirius found out what Peter had done he went after him but Peter killed thirteen muggles before cutting off his own finger and transforming into his animagus form, a rat. Your father was blamed and without a trial he was sent to Azkaban." She said, her voice hard.

"Where is he now?" Draco asked her.

"Hidden but he is coming to see you today, for lunch." She smiled.

"But I thought it wasn't safe." He frowned.

"Sirius is an animagus, and he won't be alone." She reassured him.

Just then there was a knock on the door and Alex left to open it, Draco stayed where he was nervously. Would Sirius be disappointed in him for being a Slytherin or an elitist and all that he had done in the past? He didn't even know what to expect for the man had spent twelve years of his life in Azkaban, such an experience would change a man he was sure. He heard footsteps and Alex came in with two people beside her, one was Harry Potter and the other was his father.

Their eyes met for a moment, two sets of clear grey eyes. Sirius looked aged and weathered by time and Azkaban and whatever else he had gone through but still they shared a resemblance. Both had sharp, aristocratic features and then there were the eyes. Grey eyes that made girls melt and swoon over them.

Draco stood and Sirius pulled him into his arms, his grip was tight and for the second time Draco felt a real embrace. He hugged Sirius back just as tightly for what felt like hours but was only a few moments before they pulled away.


	19. Chapter 19

They all sat around the dining room table with Alex and Sirius at either head and Harry and Draco facing each other at the middle. Sirius could not stop looking at his son, he looked so much like Sirius had at that age. There was Alex in him too though, his smile was like a mirror image of hers. He could imagine his life if Voldemort had not ruined it, he and Alex would have lived in this beautiful house. Draco would have been so incredibly loved by them and he and Harry would have been best friends.  
Of course Voldemort had ruined Sirius' life and so the life he imagined was just that, a figment of his imagination. It was quiet for a while whilst Sirius tried to articulate something to say to his son but eventually Alex started a conversation.  
"So Draco, you're in Slytherin?" She asked, smiling at him.  
"Yeah...I'm sorry, I know you'd probably prefer it if I was in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw." He said apologetically.  
"Don't be sorry, I don't care what house you're in so long as you are happy there." She said.  
"I used to be happy there...now I'm not so sure." He admitted.  
"What do you mean?" She asked.  
"I...I don't want to be a deatheater and they do." He confessed.  
"Voldemort knows better than to go after my child." She said in a hard voice.  
"He's dangerous...I don't know what I'd do if he tried to recruit me." He whispered in fear.  
"Both of you boys need to know that Voldemort is not yet strong enough to inflict any harm on you. He is too weak, too afraid and even if he were foolish enough to try then I would kill him like the vermin he is." She told, no promised them.  
"He can't be stopped, he's too strong." Harry muttered.  
"I don't suppose you'd know this Harry because of the generation you were born into but maybe you have heard in passing about the elementals?" She asked.  
"Once or twice, but I don't know what they are, only that they are extinct." He replied.  
"The elementals are a race of wizards and witches that can bend elements to their will, in the beginning they could bend all five elements. Later though as they procreated the blood was weak and they became scarce, dark wizards sought to control them or kill them as they were so powerful." She explained.  
"Five elements? I thought there were only four." Draco asked confusedly.  
"Yes, five. Fire, water, earth, air and spirit. Spirit users were the first to become extinct and the rest quickly followed suit until only one pure elemental remained. My fraternal grandmother was an elemental but she only ever told me." She told them.  
"So they are extinct?" Harry asked.  
"They live still, in hiding and I only know of one." She answered.  
"Who?" Both boys asked simultaneously.  
"Me. I may not be the only elemental left but I think I am the last pure one after my grandmother." She said.  
"Can you stop him?" Harry asked and Alex shook her head sadly.  
"I cannot stop him and soon you'll understand why but for now I think being able to protect the two of you will suffice." She said.  
"No, if Voldemort comes after me I won't let you risk your life. Not after everything you've done for me." Draco said stubbornly.  
"I am your mother Draco, it is my duty to protect you and so help me God I will. There is nothing in this world that matters more to me than you, Harry and Sirius." She replied.  
"I don't deserve it, not after everything I've done and said! Ask Potter, I'm sure he'd agree with me!" Draco shouted before going up the stairs and back to his room.  
"Just like old times." Sirius muttered with a little humour in his voice.  
"Except it would be me storming up the stairs, shouting. Somehow I think I prefer being on the other side of things. What am I supposed to say to him Sirius?" She asked, holding her head in her hands.  
"I'll go, he won't believe it coming from anyone else." Harry volunteered.  
"You don't have to if you don't want to Harry." Sirius said.  
"I want to." He said, standing.  
"Thank you Harry, it's the first door to the right." Alex said as he too went upstairs.  
"I see you're finally seeing how much I had to deal with all those years." Sirius remarked.  
"You never complained, why?" She asked.  
"Because I love you." He replied.  
"If you were the one who acted like this I would have just left you to it." She laughed.  
"Well if that isn't love, I don't know what is." He grinned.  
Upstairs Harry knocked hesitantly on the door, Draco opened it a moment later. He was seemingly shocked by Harry's presence, they had spent so long on opposite sides of a childish game of rivalry.  
"Potter, what are you doing here?" He asked after a moment, going back to sitting on the his bed.  
"Oh you know, just passing through." He joked and Draco laughed without humour.  
"Why are you here? If I were you I would hate me...I do hate me." He said.  
"It's not your fault Malf- er Black. I think if I had grown up like you did, I would have been the same as you." He answered.  
"No, no you're different to me." He argued.  
"You're wrong. If Voldemort didn't exist then you wouldn't be the same, with Sirius and Alex as your parents and my parents alive we would have been friends. We could still be friends." Harry said and Draco raised his head.  
"After everything I've done to you and your friends you think we could still be friends?" He asked, a little humour in his voice.  
"I'm not sure if she told you this but before she left her family your mother despised Sirius and all his friends and my mother and her friends. She didn't hate them for them, she hated them because she was a Malfoy and she had to." He pointed out.  
"And you would be my friend, just like that?" He asked.  
"Well if you'd stop being such a tosser all the time, yeah." He smiled and Draco laughed.  
"Fine Potter, let's be friends." He replied.  
"As your friend I am telling you to not upset your mum, you're lucky to have her." Harry said with a sad tone.  
"From what I hear I won't be the only one who will be lucky to have her for long. When exactly are you moving in?" He asked.  
"I'm not sure, they need to sort it out with the ministry." He shrugged.  
"Thanks Potter, for...for being my friend." He said after a moment.  
"Any time Black." He replied.  
"That's going to take some getting used to." Draco said, running a hand through his hair.  
"Do you think we will ever have normal lives after all this is over?" Harry asked.  
"I hope so, I've spent fifteen years with my kidnappers who I thought were my parents. Meanwhile my real parents were comatose and in Azkaban and now I don't even know what to say to them when we're in the same room as each other." He said.  
"Stop being such an emo and go talk to them then, it's not like they're still comatose and in Azkaban." Harry laughed.  
"If you had told me a week ago I'd be sat here being insulted by Potter and actually taking it I'd hex you." Draco commented.  
"If you had told me a week ago I'd be friends with a tosser like you I would laugh in your face but stranger things have happened." Harry shrugged.  
"Oh yeah, like what?" He asked.  
"Like you dating Parkinson, I thought even you would have some standards." They both laughed.  
"At least I'm not mooning over Chang, that girl is crazy." He remarked.  
"Why, because she wouldn't spare you a second glance?" Harry asked with a smirk.  
"No, because she'd consider dating you." Draco shot back.  
"I think we should go downstairs now." Harry said after a moment.  
"Probably." Draco replied, standing.  
"And you should apologise, she's your mum, of course she wants to protect you." He advised.  
Draco nodded and began to walk out of the room with Harry a few steps behind him. Alex was still sat in her chair with her head in her hands but Sirius had moved beside her, comforting her as best he could. She lifted her head as the boys entered the room together and Draco felt guilty immediately for upsetting her.  
"I'm sorry for how I spoke to you earlier, it was uncalled for and I was being ungrateful." He said, moving to stand a closer to his parents.  
"Don't be sorry, all I want is for you to stop thinking you aren't worth being protected. Even if you weren't, you would still be my little boy and I would protect you from everything." She said.  
"I haven't deserved it, not up until now but I want to change. I don't want to be that person any more." He replied.  
"It is never too late to change, I was your age when I changed my life and if you aren't happy then you can do something about it." Alex told him.  
"Thank you." He smiled and she returned it.  
"Now all of you are going to return to your seats and pretend my cooking is half decent." She ordered and they did, their lives had been far from easy or normal but looking at them you would never guess it. They sat around the table, all laughing and conversing and eating like a normal happy family.


End file.
